Keeping a secret

Whatever happened to the days when you could say something to someone and absolutely trust that what you said would be kept confidential? It seems that more and more people are getting too comfortable with letting the cat out of the bag. Maybe this is because the Internet makes things so readily available. One person lets some secret slip and soon enough, half the town knows about it. Back in the day, a large company bought out a company I was working for. At the time, only ten of us knew about it. In those six months, not a soul found out. I told only my wife. There was no non-disclosure agreement, you gave a man your word and that was it.

For me it’s a factor of trust. Not too long ago, a company here in town was bought out and I knew six months in advance. What’s the point of having non-disclosure agreements if no one is going to honor or enforce them? When you find someone who’s willing and trust-worthy enough to hold on to your secrets or whatever it is you have to share—appreciate that person. It seems like being able to hold your tongue is a lost art these days. Anyone can let slip a rumor, and before you know it, each person who’s had his or her hands on it has added some little embellishment or alteration. Some may think that having these secrets--this insider information increases their status or worth. No, it’s just dishonest. Anything not belonging to you, any great business idea shared with you is not yours to share. Over the last several decades, I’ve really learned to appreciate people who keep their mouths shut and the lost art of keeping my own mouth shut. The Internet is a great tool, but maybe it makes it too easy to share information, making it hard to discern the truth. So find those one or two people who you can share something with and appreciate them.