Psychology Today | 01.03.2026 01:19
Once upon a time during my girlhood, I was a teller and keeper of secrets. Secrets among friends were a form of bonding, and keeping someone’s secret was a sign of loyalty. Who told you their secret, and to whom you told your secret, reflected a hierarchy of trust. Best friends were lost or found through their ability to be a container for what you did not want others to know. Such is the power of secrets: to be shunned by the secret-telling circle is to feel excluded, less worthy, left out. Humans are social pack animals that thrive in small cooperative, interdependent groups. Our connection to others is crucial for our well-being, mental and physical.1
