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There's a Twitter account (that can now also be found on Facebook) which offers people the chance to anonymously reveal their secrets, and with 535K followers, it has become a viral online sensation.

Titled Fesshole, the account is the brainchild of Rob Manuel. Those of you that are well-versed in internet culture might know him from creating 'B3ta', a meme design website that famously sued Coca-Cola after they ripped off one of its viral animations for a TV ad.

Anyway, the "sins" on Fesshole range from the clumsily awkward (messing up a handshake) to the hilariously outrageous (hiring someone because they share your love for pro-wrestling), and, I guess, their popularity shows that in the age of social detachment, a little gossip can go a long way.

Continue scrolling to check out Fesshole's latest content, and don't miss out on the chat we had about secrets with Dr. Michael Slepian, the Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. Associate Professor of Leadership and Ethics at Columbia Business School, spread out in between the pictures.

However, if you go through the entire thing and your curiosity wants more, fire up our earlier publication on Fesshole.

More info: Twitter | Facebook

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Trisha Howson
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I see nothing wrong with this at all. They wouldn't take care of her give her to someone that can and will

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To begin with, Dr. Slepian said when we keep a secret, we often mean to protect something. "Perhaps we believe that it protects our reputation, or our relationship with someone. And yet, our secrets tend to harm our well-being, and can harm our relationships too," the author of The Secret Life of Secrets: How Our Inner Worlds Shape Well-Being, Relationships, and Who We Are told Bored Panda.

"When we choose to be alone with something, especially something important, we tend not to develop the healthiest way of thinking about it. It often takes another person to get the help that we need. Even a short conversation with a trusted person can offer so much. Emotional support and fresh perspectives can easily be offered by your confidant, but are hard to find on your own. This is why we often want to bring others in. We know that another person can prove helpful, and that having a conversation about the secret would be a healthy thing to do. To have a secret from everyone is to be alone with that thing, and we don't like to be alone. Your desire for help and social connection is in battle with your fear of how others will respond. When we let fear win, we hold the secret tight."

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April Caron
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had a 6 year old foster kid who was obsessed with wanting glasses like her older sister. Alas, she didn’t need them. :/ While her older sister walked around trying on various frames for her new glasses, she was trying to be supportive. I couldn’t bare to see her disappointed, so I told her to pick out whatever frames she also wanted. She was over-the-moon elated! We bought her “glasses” as-is without a prescription… just a clear lens. They were a hideous pink cat eye style. She wore them EVERYWHERE! And anytime she would get complimented on them, she’d tally up those compliments, “See? Another compliment!” It was ridiculously cute! :)

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James Morris
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I always want to ask Alexa to end the simulation {like the Matrix} but don't. I'm afraid if it does life might be worst then it is.

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With Edy Moulton-Tetlock, a doctoral student in management studying organizational behavior, Dr. Slepian asked more than 800 online participants to describe their personal secrets, using his list of 38 common categories of secrets as their guide.

The participants described more than 10,000 secrets, including both those they had shared with someone ("confided secrets") and the ones they had kept all to themselves ("total secrets").

The data revealed that confiding a secret predicted improved well-being. That's because the participant received social support and because the act of revealing the secret seemed to minimize the amount of time the person spent thinking about it.

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Dr. Slepian's research suggests that someone who is more secretive tends to be less extraverted and less emotionally stable, but more conscientious.

However, we also need to be aware of what it means to be "unloaded" on.

"When another person confides in us, this can be a boon but also a burden. When someone trusts us to the point of revealing a secret, we understand this is an act of intimacy, and often feel closer to the person as a result."

And yet, Dr. Slepian explained that if the secret is something we find troubling or surprising, we might find our thoughts returning to it again and again.

"The secret can weigh on our mind. And if the secret implicates someone you know, then you'll have to keep the secret from them, which will bring its own burden," he added.

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While Dr. Slepian thinks it's possible for people to live like an open book, sharing everything with the world, he wouldn't advise it.

"There is a class of secrets that most everyone agrees is okay to keep. People often call these 'white lies,'" he clarified. "If you are just arriving at the party, and your friend asks you how their outfit looks, but it is too late to change, then most people agree that saying something positive is the kinder response ('You look great!'). If the truth needlessly hurts someone's feelings, holding back is often the more compassionate choice."

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DuchessDegu
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't like the taste of beer, wine or spirits, I'm more than happy with a soft drink or juice. I've done it to stop people asking "but whyyyyyyy?" I don't drink and "just try this one".

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Aroha
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Cute idea, I'll do the same! *remembers that she has never been asked out* Oh... 😐

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Paul C.
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The company I worked for supplied free vend coffee machines. I put fake price stickers on the machines. It went ballistic. HR had to put out an Email assuring everyone it was somebodies idea of a joke. I think I got away with it.

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There's no exact formula that tells Rob Manuel which submissions he needs to feature on Fesshole. His choices are based on simply going through the list and reading them. Everything depends on his judgment of what he thinks is funny or interesting. So if you send Rob something and it doesn't appear on the account, don't sweat it. There are other online "priests" you can share your secrets with. Like the subreddit r/confessions.

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April Caron
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is why I have a Furbo camera… so I can talk to my animals. My cat is too smart! When he wants my attention… he triggers the camera, so I’ll check on him and have a little chat with him. :)

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Paul C.
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My brother-in-law, who is a right know it all, fitted his fridge freezer into his kitchen work tops. For years my sister-in-law complained nothing was ever cold and the freezer took an eternity to do basic freezing......he'd left the Styrofoam encasing the whole of the back.

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April Caron
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah… that sensible voice in my head is my grandfather’s, who raised me. He died when I was 26. I’m 49 now. Still hear it all the time.

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Kathryn Baylis
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I know when they have people in movies talk to their dead loved ones that they’re actually comic relief, so they make them look ridiculous and poke fun at them for it. But I see nothing wrong with it, as long as they’re low key about it around other people who might not understand, as well as remain conscious of the fact that they’re talking to someone who’s passed on and not actually in the room with them. Hell, if my husband goes first, I fully intend to talk to him after he’s gone, to keep him up to date with what’s going on, to talk over important stuff with him, and just to talk about anything—-especially if I’m living by myself (I’m kind of a loner anyway, and so is he, so living alone won’t be any kind of tragedy for me). So OP, you go right ahead and talk to your father, take him fishing, and ask him for advice. Keep his wisdom, his humor, and his voice alive in your memory. Keep feeling his spirit around you. There’s great comfort in that. The hell with what anyone else might think. This isn’t any kind of sin. This is a lovely father-son bond that has never broken, even after the father’s death so long ago.

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AK to LV
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

After my Grandmother passed, my Grandfather talked to her all the time. They spent 60 years together. I wasn't going to argue with it.😊

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GoldfishCrackers
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Right? I still go on car rides with my mom. She passed away in 2014. We have a lot of fun and she gives sound, encouraging advice.

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WordWeaver
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I hear from my deceased parents quite often. Mum has been known to throw books off the shelf if she thinks I'm not paying attention. Also she moves painting sideways to let me know she's been around. Just smelt her perfume a little while ago which is a welcome variation from her usual cigarette smoke smell. I don't smoke and no one has ever smoked in my house. So, you're not alone, mate - there's a lot of us doing it. Because it's true.

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CindyLouWho1209
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh how sweet! I think of my parents constantly and wonder how they would approach a problem I'm experiencing. I miss them so much. 😪 May they RIP. ❤️🙏

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Fall F.
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wow, the year before I was born! I can't even imagine....

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Jane W.
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

His influence on you really is providing the good answers.

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Amy Broderick
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I write letters to my step-dad most days. He died 3 years ago and I'm still having trouble coming to grips with it

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V Bingham
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There's nothing wrong with that. If it helps keep him alive for you, it's all good.👍🌹💜🤗🙏

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KimB
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I can still hear my dads voice on my birthday he would always call and sing to me :)

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Danny Haworth
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Today (7th July) is the 1 year anniversary of me finding my partner who took her own life. I “speak” to her throughout the day & still say good night, I love you when I get into bed.

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Penny Hernandez
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When my brother-in-law died my sister put some of his ashes in a tiny urn. Her granddaughter takes it almost everywhere with her so 'Poppy' is there, too.

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Katie Lutesinger
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One of my oldest friends died in 2016 (if you ever see me on BP talking bitterly about how someone I know was killed by a drunk driver - yeah, same guy). I keep a picture of him in a frame on my desk, and I talk to it sometimes. It makes me feel better.

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NicNor5560
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My father died in the early 200's and sometimes I forget that he died. I'd pick up the phone to ask him something but he's not on my phone speed dial.

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Justme
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I do this with my son. There’s a car dealership in the area with a similar name and whenever I see a car with their logo I say, “it’s my car mamma!” He would have been 9 so I doubt he would still be doing that but I still do.

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MrsC
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wish that I could upvote more than once. My Dad died in 2018. I sent him texts for Christmas and birthdays. Silly but comforting. His phone number has been reassigned so I can't do this anymore.

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SirWriteALot
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hmmm .... some say "aaawwwww" ... some say "you need to talk to a professional"

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WordWeaver
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Of course! Why should an irrelevancy like death diminish his interest?

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Trisha Howson
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well you told him. It on him should of listened sometimes that is what it takes and you can have a laugh about it

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Elizabeth Elliot
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Shame on you! Think of all the jobs you're stealing from people with REAL interpretive dance degrees! :)

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Paul C.
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Good thinking, can't have somebody with a different opinion than yourself can you? Sarcasm alert.

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