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30 People Reveal The Shocking Secrets That Could Destroy Their Lives If They Ever Got Out
Let’s be real. The anonymity that comes with the internet means you can be whoever you want, say whatever you want, and, almost always, get away with it. You can even lead a whole double life and, if you’re careful, never be found out.
Someone asked an online community, “What secret could destroy your life if it got out?” and netizens, safe behind their handles, let rip. Dive into this collection of some of the weirdest and darkest secrets people are keeping at all costs.
More info: Reddit
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Throwaway for obvious reasons.
I hit a smallish lottery (~few mill) a little while back and told absolutely no one, family and friends included. I took a bunch of steps to secure my kids futures and we live a very comfortable but not lavish life. I'm pretty generous with the people around me, I think that they just think I'm doing very well career wise (or something illegal under the table).
I justify it by thinking that if this was general knowledge amongst friends and family it would ruin relationships. My priority needed to be my kids.
RELATED:
#2
To all the gay people in this thread - it really does get better. 17 years ago, I could have posted that the secret that could destroy my life was that I was a lesbian. I was 100% sure I'd k**l myself if anyone ever found out. I was 100% sure that my parents would be completely destroyed and that my relationship with my parents would be ended.
17 years later, I'm out to everyone I know and getting married later this year. My life remains undestroyed.
#3
I never finished high school. But, due to a clerical error, it appears as if I did. No one can know this.
Here's the thing: we all keep secrets. Some are harmless little white lies, like pretending you absolutely loved that hideous sweater your aunt gave you for Christmas. But others? They're the kind that could blow up your entire life if they ever came out. We hide things for love, fear, or survival, but every secret has a weight, and the longer it’s carried, the heavier it becomes. So what happens when it starts crushing you?
Researchers have figured out that the average person is juggling around 13 secrets at any given moment, and get this, five of those have never been shared with another living soul. These can range from money problems to infidelity, unspoken traumas, or hidden desires. Even if no one finds out, secrets don’t just vanish; they live rent-free in our heads.
#4
I told my best friends boyfriend to go look for her during a party once when I knew she cheating with some other guy.
HE DESERVED TO KNOW. But that would easily ruin our 20 year friendship if she ever found out.
But no one deserves to be cheated on, ever.
Ellinor she/they/elle 1 month ago
But do you really wants to remain friend with someone who cheats ?
#5
I have a secret lair at work that I secretly hide all of the best office supplies in. Only I have access to it.
#6
I failed out of college and didn't tell anyone. I lied about still being in school and pretended to go to classes. My parents still thought they were paying for my college, that is the worst part of this whole thing. I wasted 6 months and a good $5000 (if not more)
edit: Thanks everyone for your responses, it's good to know that I'm not the only one who has messed up :) In response to a lot of questions, my parents found out about everything when my mom was trying to get my health insurance taken care of and the insurance said that I wasn't enrolled in school (this was 5 years ago). I have since paid my parents back for the money they spent, went to community college, transferred to a 4 year, and am now about to graduate with my BS.
Psychologists say keeping secrets isn't just exhausting mentally; it takes a physical toll too. Studies from Columbia University found that simply thinking about a secret drains cognitive energy. People who dwell on their hidden truths have higher levels of stress, anxiety, and even fatigue. It's basically like walking around in invisible armor all day, every day.
Interestingly, it's not actually the hiding that messes us up the most; it's the constant thinking about hiding. We don’t suffer because we hide; we suffer because we obsess about it. Every reminder triggers guilt, shame, or worry. As it turns out, over time, that constant inner dialogue can manifest as headaches, poor sleep, or even heart problems. Yes, secrets can literally break your heart.
#7
I have an imaginary friend which happens to be a dragon. I spend a lot of time daydreaming of our little world together. Sometimes I might be flying on his back, other times we may be exploring the forests or something I don't know. Usually at night until I fall asleep I imagine that the two of us are in a cave on a cold night curled up together snuggled around a warm toasty fire.
It's so childish, stupid, and weird, but honestly if my imagination is vivid enough during a given session, it makes me really happy and I feel at peace.
Writing is a nice outlet but not enough. I can't really lucid dream either. But hopefully in the future, I will be able to visit the world in my head through virtual reality technology and spend time actually physically being there.
So yeah there's my (probably) mental illness laid out for the internet to see.
EDIT: Wow. Woke up to see some truly kind replies, some of which made me tear up a little bit. Thank you all so very much. I thought this would get buried, but boy was I wrong.
As for some popular questions:
I'm 19 ._.
His name is Feuer (German for fire). I was never good with names, but I thought that sounded pretty cool. Also kind of signifies his warm personality. He's dark green like that of an evergreen tree.
A lot of people were saying I should write about it, well I actually did. [Here's the story](http://slimjimo10.deviantart.com/art/One-Last-Chance-476913820). I also have the rough draft for a followup story finished but I need to work on fixing some of the stuff there.
I'll try to reply to as many of the replies as I can, but I have classes soon so I won't get to too many right now. I'll try to get to rest after classes!
EDIT 2: Wow... you people are awesome. The story went from like 100 views to almost 3000 in less than 12 hours. I can't believe it, it's gotten more attention than I thought it ever would. A huge thanks to those who left feedback. And also a huge thanks to all the kind words said. I'll certainly keep dreaming :)
Also, here's a [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xrakyBNzvs), it's probably one of my favorites of all time. Just thought I'd share it so my fellow escapists may hear it :).
#8
I used NFL content without its express written consent.
#9
What my grandfather did to me while I was a child. Although he's scummy and my entire family knows he's scummy I dont think they'd believe it.
Michael Largey 1 month ago
Believing is one thing. Accepting the responsibilities that belief places on you is a different matter.
Yet, some secrets are necessary. They can protect others, preserve privacy, or maintain peace. From an evolutionary standpoint, humans learned to keep secrets as a survival tactic, concealing vulnerabilities, desires, or actions that could get us kicked out of the social circle. In a way, secrecy was once a shield. But in the modern world, that same shield can start to suffocate us.
Confession, on the other hand, is medicine. Neuroscientists say that disclosing a secret releases dopamine and oxytocin, the same chemicals tied to bonding and relief. Even just writing it down somewhere or telling a total stranger on the internet can dial down your stress levels.
#10
The fact that my brother, my father, and I know that my mom has been cheating on my dad for the past three years. It's...a complicated situation.
SchadenFreudian Psychology 1 month ago
All of you know, and she doesn’t know you know? She thinks she’s still got everyone fooled?
#11
I can't stop myself from lying. Half the time I lie about things that don't matter and should have just told the truth for but I can't stop myself from doing it. All the lies I've told, big and small all catch up to at one point or another and are seriously damaging my life.
My parents and brother don't trust me at all anymore because I've done some incredibly stupid things and lied about them. I've also had to do things or tell bigger lies to cover what started out as a little white lie. Other people around me that've caught me In a lie don't know how to act around me anymore.
I know I need to stop and I am trying but the more I try to stop doing it, the more I do it. This is slowly destroying my life and my relationship with my family and there is nothing i can about it.
#12
It may seem minor but I think my girlfriend's grandmother's cooking is bad at worst and bland at best. Nothing is seasoned ever. For her family it is the tops of cooking. I just want some f*****g salt.
Uncle Panda 1 month ago
For my traditional Irish grandmother, heavily seasoned meant salt *and* pepper.
PostSecret is an ongoing community mail art project created by Frank Warren back in 2004. It’s simple: people mail their Warren their secrets anonymously on a homemade postcard. Selected secrets are then posted on the PostSecret website, or used for books and museum exhibits.
In an interview with CBS, Warren said, "In some ways, I think when we keep a secret, that secret's actually keeping us. Maybe haunting us. Maybe inviting us to reconcile with part of our past we're hiding from. Maybe keeping us from having intimate relationships with others or ourselves." Heavy stuff.
#13
More than two years prior I was in critical budgetary straights, so I sold my home to keep my battling business above water. I fail to tell the proprietors that they have a 800 sq. ft. fortification on the property that I worked around seven years prior. The dugout that I've called home since I sold it. The passageway to it is well-covered up, yet despite everything I go back and forth early/late in the day.
I'm a solitary man who minds his own business. I'm presently in a circumstance where I could move elsewhere, yet I cherish this concealed heaven to such an extent.
#14
Every single day I think about k**g myself, how great it would be, all my problems gone in an instant. Now, I am in therapy for depression, but I don't share those thoughts for fear of being institutionalized, even briefly as a danger to myself. I don't think I'm a danger to myself, I've had those thoughts for quite a while without swallowing pills or a sh*tgun, so...
#15
Didn't ruin my life, but k***d a lot of my dreams. I've gone through depression and they always ask you "have you ever thought of s*****e". Look, trap an animal in a box and it'll want to get out. Give it any sort of intelligence and it'll try to game the system to find other means out than physical.
Regardless, military found out that I had gone through therapy and further, answered that question. As a result I can't join the military as an officer. Lot's of friends are doing stuff like flying aircraft, learning languages, tracking satellites, and playing around ICBMs. I'm finishing up college and am trying to find a job.
Irony to all of this is I started the s*****e prevention and awareness program at my colleges ROTC battalion. I went through campus therapy because I didn't want to be a hypocrite. All in all, I've found the military to be largely hypocritical in the end.
Mel in Georgia 1 month ago
In the airline industry, pilots cannot be diagnosed or treated for depression or they will be grounded. Would you rather your pilot be an undiagnosed depressive or be treated with therapy and antidepressants?
At the end of the day, every secret tells two stories: what you're concealing, and who you really are when nobody's watching. The cost of keeping one isn’t measured in exposure, but in energy.
Whether whispered in confession or carried to the grave, secrets remind us that, although honesty might be terrifying, it's also the most liberating thing in the world. What do you think of the secrets in this list? Upvote the ones that made your jaw drop, and feel free to leave a comment if any hit home! Your secrets are safe here, promise.
#16
I'm the reason my mom's beloved dog is dead.
The only person who knows this is my ex. We had dated for six months and then we had to take a break. I wasn't supposed to be seeing him but decided to one night anyway. I snuck out to see him and everything was fine.
I was walking back home and I saw a giant dead squirrel in the middle of the road. I got into my house and started playing Call of Duty. After about a half hour, I realized I hadn't seen my dog in a while which was unusual because she always runs up to me. I couldn't find her in the house and stopped dead in my tracks and remembered seeing what I thought was a gigantic squirrel.
I took off running outside to where I saw it and I realized it was my mom's dog. She wasn't in the middle of the road anymore, someone had moved her to the sidewalk. I broke down crying. I couldn't believe that I had left the gate open when I left. I was the one who got her ki**d.
My mom absolutely loved her. She followed my mom around everywhere and was always by her side. I stood at the road and called my mom who was out of state and i was crying my heart out. I kept saying I was so sorry and she told me it wasn't my fault so I shouldn't be. I started crying more then and she was trying so hard to calm me down and I felt bad because she didn't know that it really was my fault.
I couldn't pick her up and bring her home because I couldn't touch her. Someone driving by stopped and helped me get her home. That was a really hard time.
My mom and family assume that she had a heart attack or something since I found her on the side of the road. I can't tell them that I saw her in the middle of the road 30 minutes prior. I know that someone really had hit her.
My mom was crying for weeks. It took her half a year just to be able to look at pictures of her again or to mention her without crying. I feel so awful for it and could never tell her the truth.
Ellinor she/they/elle 1 month ago
You didn't k!lled her, it was an accident that could have happened to anyone.
#17
No more throwaway here. I see a lot of s******l and in**st post so mine is probably pale in comparison and will stay at the bottom.
Anyway, I almost k***ed my sister years ago. She was about 3 and I was maybe 9-11 years old. I carried her to the terrace (5 stories high including the ground floor). And like some dumb f**k, I placed her at the edge of the terrace, above a barricade of sorts. There was nothing to protect her from falling, and directly below, 5 stories down, is a cemented path. I don't remember what was so important I had to do that I left her dangling there, at death's edge.
All I remember is, she was starting to sway backwards, towards the ground. Alarm bells started ringing in my head. So I ran and somehow managed to grab on to her just as she was about to fall. I felt my heart racing against my chest. I hugged her for a a really long time. Too afraid to let go.
To this day, I haven't told her (she's 25 now), nor my Mom. Even typing this still makes me nervous. That height, how a baby's body would've ended up splattered all over the hard cemented pathway, how I could be institutionalized, how my family would've disown me, how I would've missed watching her grow up... still haunts me. It developed an irrational fear in me, of carrying babies around. Even if I'm not the one carrying them. Or even if there is no height involved.
Edit: Thanks for all the awesome responses guys. And yes, I will definitely tell her this one day. Just not yet, still can't see how we'll be able to laugh about it though. Still gives me the chills, the creepy kind.
#18
I am emotionally numb. I always have to fake being happy or excited about things. I guess it kind of s**ks because I'm not happy or unhappy and the only time I'm "considerate" is when I'm doing something because I know something bad will happen and not because of guilt or a negative emotion of any kind. I sometimes wonder why I exist but I don't delve too deeply because I just don't care.
Wow... I didn't expect this comment to explode like this. I hope everyone understands that I can't possibly go through all of the replies because it would take hours. I'm glad that a lot of people understand how I feel though. Also thanks for all of the support everyone. :).
#19
I insured my car by identifying as a woman to get a lower rate and to fight back against sexism in the insurance industry.
Uncle Panda 1 month ago
Insurance companies will take any opportunity to deny coverage. All that was accomplished was to allow them to cash OP's checks until they tell OP they have no insurance because they committed fraud when applying.
#20
No longer the case, but a few years ago I faked qualifications to get a job. I had applied to 30+ positions within a few months and nobody was biting. Without that job I would have been out on the street and heavily in debt.
#21
I’m not really *that* big of a shark.
Literallyjustacat replied:
I’m not literally just a cat. I’m three cats in a trench coat
#22
If my reddit usernames ever got out. I said things that could break a few friendships on this account. And then there are my other accounts some of which are just plain wrong.
#23
My twin sister and I love each other. We love each other more than siblings should.
I'm sure the in**st would disgust a lot of people, and that alone would ruin a lot of relationships. Our parents and grandparents would probably disown and disinherit us. Other family would probably break off contact, and we'd lose a good chunk of our friends. I imagine news would spread like wildfire amongst our social circle Our older sister might be the only person in our family who wouldn't outright condemn us, and I'm not even too sure about that
Sometimes we think about running away to Europe or something, so we can start new lives with fake identities.
Edit: Since so many people are asking, we're fraternal twins, and I'm a male.
#24
Wouldnt ruin my life, but would change a lot of peoples opinions of me. I compare myself to the people exes dump me for and people reject me in favor of. My first ex dumped me for an abusive dr*g add*cted r*pist, and then married a highschool dropout. My second ex dumped me in a day. My third ex dumped me for a guy who never cared for her then told me about how poorly another guy treated her after taking her virginity. And ive been rejected by people who prefer to fantasize over anime and would rather do so than date me. Ive never had a good relationship with someone my age. My parents pretty much stopped caring about me after they got divorced.
I just want to be loved.
YakFactory 1 month ago
That's so sad. I hope that one day you can find someone special to you, and that your connection lasts. We all deserve to be loved and to share love.
#25
Brought a knife to school to k**l a kid, couldn't do it. I was a very angry, very lonely kid for a long time. That sort of piled up into an uncontrollable rage sometimes, and decided I had enough. At the end of school I saw him on the playground, I still had the knife in my pocket, but my dad miraculously saw me from the parking lot I didn't get to do it. Then I realized my mistake.
Edit: Wow, actually made it to the top of the dark secrets thread. D**n. Right, time for some real s**t, I am also /u/-thatd**ngirl, and this isn't even the tip of the iceberg for me. I could go all day long.
Edit 2: No. I am not Dexter f*****g Morgan, don't need to keep PM'ing me about it!
Edit 3: Oh yeah, and for those of you curious of my other account's "f****d up heavy metal music, another thing I've been hearing a lot of, it would be something like this music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDrwT1nY8PE used to cut myself to that video. Now when I see it, I only feel a wave of fear and regret. Also, it had to have violence or satanic imagery in it for me to watch or listen to, before you ask!
Edit 4: Still not Dexter, nice try!
#26
I don't actually play the piano.
#27
That my cousin was my biggest crush for more than 10 years, and I m*****d on his bed. He was out for only half an hour, I j***d myself off then played AC w him when he got back. Darkest secret of my life.
Huddo's sister 1 month ago
I think it's sad that there is so much shame about this. First of all because in many places marrying cousins is legal. Also, if you were still a teenager, which the use of crush suggests, you are chock full of hormones and crushes are not so logical. The amount of people who masturbated over fictional characters etc during their teen years is much higher than people realise, because it never gets talked about.
#28
Absolutely nothing, you can't ruin whats already been torn apart.
Michael Largey 1 month ago
People think that believing that things couldn't get worse is pessimism. No, it's the most dangerous form of optimism.
#29
Been ba**ng the babysitter for *years*.
Ellinor she/they/elle 1 month ago
Ew. The act in itself is deeply wrong but the phrasing is just disgusting.
#30
I'm allergic to apples.
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What do you think ?
Rick Murray 1 month ago
"What's the secret that could literally ruin your life if it came out?" I know, I'll post it on antisocial media for everybody to see! 🤔
Serena Myers 1 month ago (edited)
I don't see dead people, but I have realised that when I retain an almost photograpic image in my head of an animal or human, said animal or person is usually deād within days, months, sometimes a couple of years, not even expected to shuffle off this mortal coil anytime soon. Call me a fotty old boomer bart, as you will! Should I warn my neighbour when my "photo" of him and his daughter comes true in about 3 or 4 years time?
Load More Replies... Rick Murray 1 month ago
"What's the secret that could literally ruin your life if it came out?" I know, I'll post it on antisocial media for everybody to see! 🤔
Serena Myers 1 month ago (edited)
I don't see dead people, but I have realised that when I retain an almost photograpic image in my head of an animal or human, said animal or person is usually deād within days, months, sometimes a couple of years, not even expected to shuffle off this mortal coil anytime soon. Call me a fotty old boomer bart, as you will! Should I warn my neighbour when my "photo" of him and his daughter comes true in about 3 or 4 years time?
Load More Replies...
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