Yet for some reason, disclosing secrets to individuals they don’t know might not be as difficult or scary. Members of the ‘Ask Reddit’ community recently discussed the topic, after the user ‘meepmorp98’ asked them what is a secret they wouldn’t tell outside the bounds of the internet. Fellow netizens were open and honest about it and shared stories ranging from wholesome to heartbreaking, and beyond, so scroll down to find them and see what is easier to confess without someone’s eyes staring directly at you.
Seeking to learn more about how sharing secrets anonymously can affect us, Bored Panda reached out to Professor of Psychology at Rutgers University, Maurice J. Elias, and Professor of Communications at Syracuse University, Makana Chock, who were kind enough to answer a few of our questions. You can find their thoughts in the text below.
Tom_Marto , Andrea Piacquadio / pexels (not the actual photo) Report
Killer_Kass , Esteban Zapata / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
unicornbirth , Amanda Jones / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
bigalcapone22 , Anima Visual / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
According to Professor of Communications at Syracuse University, Makana Chock, there are complicated motivations for revealing secrets. “Unburdening can help people to heal, grow, and make things right. Some social media confessions, however, may also be motivated by a need for attention and self-justification,” she told Bored Panda.
“Social media can be anonymous and asynchronous, which facilitates online disinhibition. You can confess to strangers—and hopefully receive reassurance or sympathy—with limited risk. If you tell a secret to someone whom you know and care about, there are greater consequences to being judged negatively and having that secret shared among your social group.”
ItinerantAvenger , Jason Leung / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
Tom_Skeptik , why kei / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
ksozay , Gregory Pappas / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
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“Just as little children try to ‘hide’ behind one finger, adults ‘hide’ by attempting to conceal their identity,” he told Bored Panda in a recent interview. “It’s also worth reflecting on the structure of the Catholic confessional—there is an attempt to make confession easier by making the confrontation not be ‘face to face’.”
The expert added that there was the common belief that the eyes are the window to the soul, which makes some anonymous confessions somewhat incomplete, as people might be holding back on perhaps some of the worst details… details that might be detectable through eye contact.
Glittering_Brief8477 , Ketut Subiyanto / pexels (not the actual photo) Report
Thecuriousgal94 , Marcos Ramírez / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
dire18 , Anna Shvets / pexels (not the actual photo) Report
Ice9Vonneguy , Matias North / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
Able-Badger-1713 , R.D. Smith / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
BarnacleMcBarndoor , Tibor Pápai / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
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rosality , Artur Aldyrkhanov / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
“That’s because few of us like to put our worst selves forward,” Prof. Elias pointed out. “And in cultures where perfectionism is not uncommon, admitting to any deficit appears to open the door to real, or potential, admissions of larger imperfections.
“Creating an environment in which people can acknowledge wrongdoing without feeling blamed and judged is a high aspiration for families, classrooms, and workplaces,” the expert added.
GVanquish , Jakob Owens / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
SRQmoviemaker , Pepi Stojanovski / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
Puzzleheaded-Bat5879 , Sama Hosseini / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
goddess_of_fear , Farhad Ibrahimzade / unsplash 9not the actual photo) Report
UnicornPoopPile , lexie janney / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
confusedhuskynoises , Heather McKean / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
spaghettiwithice_ Report
125am Report
adiosfelicia2 , Ron Lach / pexels (not the actual photo) Report
rock-mommy Report
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Jef_Wheaton , Thomas Despeyroux / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
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Lard_Baron , George Milton / pexels (not the actual photo) Report
GenericWhiteYouTuber , Arek Adeoye / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report
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Telesto1087 , Natalie Bond / pexels (not the actual photo) Report
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