Everyone has secrets. Sometimes, a secret can be something as innocent as a planned surprise for a friend, or a joke that only a few people would understand. But when a secret involves something wrong—or it hurts someone else—it can be a big problem.
- Have you ever kept a secret when you knew you shouldn’t? What made you do it? (Accept all reasonable responses. Possible answers may include: I was scared of what might happen or of what people might think.)
- What happened when the truth came out? (Answers will vary.)
- How did you feel once everyone knew the truth? (Accept all reasonable answers without comment—some students may say they felt relieved or glad while others may express feeling embarrassed.)
In his 2022 book The Secret Life of Secrets, researcher and author Michael Slepian wrote about how “on average, we are keeping as many as thirteen secrets at any given time.” That’s a lot of secrets! His research also showed that thinking about the secrets we keep is linked to lower well-being and health.
Although the thought of other people knowing our secrets might be embarrassing, having them out in the open can also improve our well-being. Keeping secrets, hurts, or sins hidden can destroy relationships and leave us crippled with guilt. Good thing there’s a solution! Let’s find out what it is in our lesson today.
