Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Keep the Secret


At the heart of much speculative fiction (and fiction in general) is a question. What if? On Tuesdays I like to throw one out there and see what you make of it. Do with it as you please. If a for-instance is not specified, feel free to interpret that instance as you wish. And if you find this becomes a novel-length answer, I'd appreciate a thank you in the acknowledgements.
😉

What if you were sworn to secrecy about something, but you know the person you're keeping the secret from needs to know this? 

23 comments:

  1. Hmmm, if it's a matter of life or death, I would tell him/her indirectly with very subtle hints... If not, I would not tell anything, I'm a grave.

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  2. I'd talk to the person who told me, and try to convince him or her to tell the person, and why. If I was told, then it CAN be told. There are some things that need to be told. My mind jumped to a husband/wife/partner who is cheating with someone with a transmittable disease. The other party needs to know for their own health.

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    1. Yeah, that kind of secret would qualify. (I kept it vague on purpose.)

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  3. Depends who the person and what the secret is I suppose.

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  4. It all depends on what the secret is :D

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    1. Think of something someone would *really* need to know. That's slightly different for different people.

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  5. For me, it's not a speculative question. In my profession I am supposed to keep secrets. But I also have an ethical obligation to violate that trust under certain conditions -- like when someone is in danger of being hurt or killed. The real debate is where do we draw the line?

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    1. Ah yes. This is where a for-instance matters. What may seem critical in once case might not be in another.

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  6. Eek.. it really depends on the secret and my relation to both the secret keeper and the person I'm keeping the secret from.

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  7. I also have to keep certain things about my job secret (and no, I don't work for the CIA.) I would be pretty torn. It would depend on a lot of things. Is life or safety involved? If so I think I would tell the person who confided in me and ask (or beg) him or her to let me tell the secret.

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    1. I guess *needs* is in the eye of the beholder. For me, I would consider that safety. But then again, it could just be something that wouldn't be fatal if not disclosed. Maybe.

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  8. OUCH! When I am told something and it is made clear that it does not need to get out, I am not to tell...I don't tell. HOWEVER, if the person involved is a friend, and that person NEEDS to know to save their life, anyones life, or their job....and it is really a NEED to keep something bad from happening, then I will tell but I don't tell where I got my info.

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    1. ALSO....as for TN Tiny Weddings, I hate when I read something but my mind sees something other then what is really there.

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  9. what if you have no one to tell to?

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    1. That's a twist. Someone needs to know the secret, but you don't know them well enough to tell them? Hmmm...

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  10. I can keep things in secert. I recall being young and naive falling for mainly girls in school. Tell me they could keep my so called deepest secert, well I tell them and soon it would be spread about. I recall my feeling of hurt and foolish. So if someone tell me something in condidentail. Unless it young child being hurt rules change quickly.
    Coffee is on and stay safe

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  11. The important word there is NEED. I have had a couple of different jobs where I had to keep things confidential. Under penalty of law. However, in certain circumstances I was required legally to speak up. Especially if it involved someone's safety or illegal activity.

    Being able to be trusted with a secret is a wonderful virtue to hold. However, discretion is not the most ethical choice in some situations. If a person NEEDS (actually needs) to know something, then they need to know.

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    1. Hard when someone asked for secrecy, but sometimes there is something someone else needs to know.

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  12. I can imagine this person going on the run after, say, saving the other's life. :)

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  13. I would drop some clever hints ... so that s/he gets it, while I wouldn't have broken the word not to tell it.

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  14. I keep secrets but I have to be logical as well. In the event that it will be harmful to the person or other people, I will let them know. I have done this but when a person told me something and it was bad, I told them I can't keep this secret because it is wrong so they must go and tell the other. I told them if they don't, I will but I will stand by them as they told the secret.

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I appreciate your comments.

I respond to comments* via email, unless your profile email is not enabled. Then, I'll reply in the comment thread. Eventually. Probably.

*Exception: I do not respond to "what if?" comments, but I do read them all. Those questions are open to your interpretation, and I don't wish to limit your imagination by what I thought the question was supposed to be.