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Honesty is a trait many people value greatly when it comes to relationships. Any kind of relationship really, friendships included. A 2022 study published in the Evolutionary Psychological Science journal revealed that people put honesty at the top when it comes to friends.

UK non-profit The Oddfellows conducted their own survey and found the same with people aged 60 and over. 45% of the respondents in a 2,000-people survey claimed that honesty is the most important trait among friends. Trust, loyalty, and dependability followed after.

Although we agree that being honest with people is paramount, we still keep secrets. They're not all in bad faith, of course; sometimes, we might do it to safeguard their peace of mind. But we like secrets in general, and we like reading about others' secrets even more. That's why when one netizen asked, "What secret are you currently hiding from someone that you're willing to share on Reddit?", over 16,000 people rushed in to read what folks had to say.

#1

“I'm Grateful That I Woke Up Blind”: 30 Secrets People Are Keeping To Themselves I've started to on occasion "accidentally" (but on purpose) not hang up my phone correctly when getting off a call with my daughter-in-law.

I then proceed to talk to my husband about how much I enjoy talking to her, how lovely I think she is, how glad I am that our son chose her, and whatever other boost I may think she needs.

She doesn't have any family that uplifts her, just the kind that tears her down.

I started doing this after my son told me about his wife coming to him in full-on snot tears, because I had once butt dialed her while talking to my husband about her. She stayed on the line to hear what I "really" thought of her, expecting the worst because that's been her experience of family.

Apparently she was quite touched by the things I said, and my son told me it gave her a confidence boost that lasted weeks.

So I do it more often now. Neither of them have any idea I do it on purpose, though. They just think I'm getting old and worse at managing my tech.

Kindly-Article-9357 , Anna Shvets Report

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The user that asked this question, r/Asphoric, was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda. They told us what inspired them to inquire about other Redditors' secrets and shared their own secret that prompted this whole thread.

r/Asphoric tells us they had a secret of their own they happened to be hiding, which is why they wanted to know about other Redditors' secrets. The Redditor didn't anticipate how many people would share their dark secrets about feeling lonely and dejected.

"I asked the question knowing that people may say some dark/NSFW stuff, but to see the outpouring from everyone was really moving," they said. "I read a lot of comments that touched on a lot of difficult subjects. I felt both sad but also proud of everyone for having the courage to share what they did."

#2

“I'm Grateful That I Woke Up Blind”: 30 Secrets People Are Keeping To Themselves I told my best friend I won a holiday in a raffle and wanted her to come with me free of charge. We stayed in a nice hostel, did lots of fun activities and I paid for it all with a “pre paid credit card from the raffle”. I didn’t win anything, I booked it all myself and paid everything for her because she deserved a break and I knew she couldn’t afford it nor would she have accepted me paying for her. I would do it again 10x over, she deserves the absolute world.

247mumbles , Oleksandr P Report

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Maartje
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love that. Good idea to treat someone who does not want you to spend money on them.

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#3

“I'm Grateful That I Woke Up Blind”: 30 Secrets People Are Keeping To Themselves I won the lottery last month. Nobody knows. I hired a money manager and invested it all. My wife's birthday is next month and I plan to surprise her with the news that we are debt free and can retire immediately.

permabandisdick , Erik Mclean Report

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varwenea
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Very practical and sweet gesture. Two months total wait time is reasonable. Happy retirement to both.

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r/Asphoric doesn't think keeping secrets is an evil thing, and neither would they be a hard limit in relationships. "I think secrets are necessary and a part of human nature. They're certainly not a dealbreaker for me in relationships – if someone is comfortable enough with you, they'll open up. It just takes time."

The Redditor also agreed to share the secret that prompted the whole thread. "I had my girlfriend text me asking me to come over (even though I could not) so I could escape a miserable vacation with my family," the netizen shares. "I have not told my parents, and I don't intend to."

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#4

“I'm Grateful That I Woke Up Blind”: 30 Secrets People Are Keeping To Themselves I am the 7 accounts that donate to my cousins streams. Little man needs something positive and it's better if he thinks it's from internet strangers and not a sympathetic cousin.

Edit: For those telling me to link his stuff, I'm not going to. Not meant as an insult to the decent folk on here, but the internet is vile and I would like to spare him that as long as possible.

soggyPretze1 , Vlada Karpovich Report

#5

“I'm Grateful That I Woke Up Blind”: 30 Secrets People Are Keeping To Themselves I am a teacher, and I am off for the summer. I get to spend all that time with my daughter, age 4, and my son, who is not quite one yet. My wife works full time. My son is just starting to talk, and my wife and I have a friendly competition going to try to get him to say Dada or Mama first. What she doesn't know is that while she is at work, I spend the day talking about her and saying the word Mama a lot. We have been working on it together for weeks. The other day, she walked in the door after getting home from a long day, and he looked at her and said Mama clear as day. She was so happy and rubbed it in my face (playfully) that he said Mama first. Even did a little happy dance. I'll never tell her.

Edit: I'm going to edit since I can't respond to everybody: Thanks for all the kind words, and I am glad my little story has made so many of you happy!

AUSpartan37 , Tatiana Syrikova Report

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Brittania Kelli
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yea, I had the opposite. Son's father worked over time to make sure our son's first word was Dada and he said it on Mother's Day.

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#6

“I'm Grateful That I Woke Up Blind”: 30 Secrets People Are Keeping To Themselves My brother bought chickens as his little organic farm was struggling. I had suggested an honesty box for the excess eggs - he spend hours making his own red barn shaped honesty box.
Eggs went on sale, crickets. Not much business at all. He was so defeated.
All of a sudden, once a week someone now calls by and buys all of his stock. Could be 10-12 boxes of eggs.
That someone, is me.
I buy the eggs.

roxykelly , Diana Report

#7

“I'm Grateful That I Woke Up Blind”: 30 Secrets People Are Keeping To Themselves My husband has large feet, large enough that there are only a few places I can buy him shoes and since the in person place near me closed down they're pretty much all online. All this to say: his shoes are $$$$.

He also grew up poor. Like the kitchen floor was his bedroom poor. He stopped being able to find his shoe size in stores before he was in high school, and before he met me he always only had one pair of shoes at a time, and sneakers were his everyday/work/dress shoe. He even worked fast food jobs in regular sneakers because he couldn't find non slip in his size. And because getting each pair was so difficult and costly he'd often wear his shoes until they had holes in the soles before replacing them.

When he was studying to be a mechanic I got him a pair of steel toed boots for his birthday. I splurged and got a good brand that would last for years. He recognized the brand and knew what they sold for and he demanded I return them, he was planning on squeezing into cheaper, smaller boots and dealing with it. So I lied, said I had bought them months before during a sale. Got 'em at 40% off, then signed up for all their stuff for an additional 20% off.

I had paid full price.

I've bought him "sale shoes" several times since then. One time he even cried because I had gotten him a second pair of sneakers well before his old ones needed to be replaced. His shoes kept getting wet from some yard work he was doing and he'd have no choice but wear wet shoes around. His last pair of work boots showed up with the first pair of sandals he has owned in over 25 years, because there was a "BOGO sale" that I totally made up, I just wanted to get him sandals because we camp a lot and him using camp showers without sandals always grossed me out, but I had never managed to find a pair in his size until then.

keelhaulrose , Jonathan Borba Report

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brookeannsimmer
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My grandmother took care of disabled adults and one named Alfred was a wonderfully kind man with severely disformed hands and feet, and this made normal shoes impossible for him to wear. A leather worker in our town, for over 20 years, made him custom shoes and only ever charged for the cost of the materials. Alfred passed many years ago, but we still use the same person for any and all repairs and alterations.

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#8

“I'm Grateful That I Woke Up Blind”: 30 Secrets People Are Keeping To Themselves I've been homeless for a while and I have a job interview at cvs tomorrow at noon. I'm so goddamn terrified. I need this job so badly. I'm desperate.

Perfect_Cup_272 , Timur Weber Report

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#9

Idunno about "hiding," per se, but I've never told anyone.

When I first moved to a new high school when I was 15, I ended up in a bad way very quickly with depression and such, like sleeping every hour of the day except for school kinda bad. That's not the story though.

I just felt like the school itself was really dreary and I didn't have any friends, so sometimes to just escape for few minutes I'd go to the bathroom that was usually empty during class and chill for a few minutes to gather my thoughts I guess.

Anyway, one time I wrote a post it note that said "You are beautiful :)" and slapped it on the mirror and left. Don't know why, just felt like I needed it, so someone else probably did too I guess?

When I came back to the bathroom the next day there were replies written on the note about how much someone had needed to hear that that day, etc etc. It made a dark time a little better to know I could make some other sad teenage girls at least smile maybe. I did it a few more times that year every month or so.

stripeyspacey Report

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Lyone Fein
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So many times when we are down we feel so alone. We don't realize that there are others around who are also feeling just as bad or worse.

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#10

“I'm Grateful That I Woke Up Blind”: 30 Secrets People Are Keeping To Themselves I split my cat's treats in half


She's a chonky girl... and she'll never know.

Buns_Lover , Rickson Bejar Report

#11

“I'm Grateful That I Woke Up Blind”: 30 Secrets People Are Keeping To Themselves I have rented a bouncy house water slide for my wife's 39th birthday. She has no idea.

andrewsmd87 , Abstral Official Report

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ZGutr
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No, you did not. That's just the excuse. You want it just as bad. Have fun together on that thing!!

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#12

Im in debt and only eat once a day. i tried to end everything but when i ask for help in reddit. someone just saved me from hunger for me and my dog. it gives me hope that strangers would extend a hand for help.

No_Midnight_5363 Report

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#13

“I'm Grateful That I Woke Up Blind”: 30 Secrets People Are Keeping To Themselves I haven’t been able to get over my dad’s death. Everyone has moved on, and it takes everything I have to get out of bed. I miss him so much.

ReviewExpress5202 , Alan Cordero Report

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Content Wombat
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I feel you, my friend. When a loved one dies, you don't really get "over it" but the pain gets less raw as the years pass x

HI, I'M A SHOUTY MAN
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yep... even just the other day I was in tears on the phone with my friend because of a perfectly innocent conversation. I was getting ready for my birthday party, and we were chatting and he said something like "oh I never know what to do with birthday cards because you don't really want to chuck them out but you don't need to hang on to them" and I just thought of all my birthday cards from my nan, who died nearly 8 years ago when I was still quite young, and I just broke down.

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Jawbreaker
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You never get over it. You learn to live with it. But it's ducking hard and takes a long long time. I lost my father when I was 14. I'm 32 now. I still have periods of time, where I miss him more than usual!

Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

my friend lost her father when she was around 11 :( idk how she dealt with it...

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ZGutr
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's been more that 25 years since I lost my mother and it's still rough at times. Wat got me out the loop is realizing the best way to honor her is to be the best version of me I can be. Doing the best I can to live how she raised me, and be at least half as strong as she was.

Blue Cicada
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Very true, well said. Personal milestones are difficult, Dad isn't here in person to celebrate. But I take pride with each step, knowing how pleased he'd be.

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Monosyllabicgirl
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some of us don't grieve as we are unfortunately practical and know that life ends in death. I was talking to a friend the other day, my brother in law committed sui.cide 2 weeks ago, and I told her I wish I had tears and grief so that I shared what other people are feeling. And it's truth. The funeral is today and I kind of don't want to go being the only person who won't be crying. It isn't that I don't miss him. I do, and now my 6 year old niece has no dad. There's this ridiculous part of my brain that doesn't allow feelings that it doesn't find "useful" like sadness, grief and anger. I've been in counciling for years and most of them tell me most people wish they didn't have these feelings. I'd ...I don't know, rather feel more human?

ManuelQue
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Grief is just love that has nowhere to go." I forget who wrote that but it struck me as incredibly true.

DuckDuckGooseberry
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had a friend, I only knew him for a year & a half but we really really bonded. He died two years ago in April, and I still miss him every day

Stannous Flouride
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My mom died on Mother's Day in 1977. Still not over it. You never do, you just get used to it.

Kerensa Scott
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have no wise words of advice but I am sending you a virtual hug

Kombatbunni
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It’s been 11 years since my Grandpa passed, 8 years since my Grandma passed, and I still miss them very much :( my sincerest condolences to you ❤️

Jane Hower
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We never really die - we are 'spirits' having a human experience. Your dad is fine and with you all the time!!!

WJK1531
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I feel the same about my sister and my best friend. My much loved sister died just over 18 months ago and my best friend just 12 months ago. I think about them both and miss them every single day. I lost my 2 best friends.

Eunice Bentley
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Everybody needs to heal in their own way. Some take a day, a week, a month, others may take years. Don't let anyone push you into feeling bad about feeling sad.

Alicia GKB
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was like that when my mother died. Please seek professional assistance in handling your grief. Your future & your life may depend on it.

Donna Sempek
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It could be time to see a therapist or a support group. There are others like you.

Liz The Biz
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My dear dad died in the early hours of Christmas morning ten years ago. The hardest thing I have ever had to do was keep a smile on my face for my two daughters who were far too young to understand. I still miss him terribly. He was the only person i could turn to. It does get easier over time but even now I still find Christmas time an emotional rollercoaster because I never know how I'm going to feel. Sometimes I'm OK, other times I'm an emotional wreck. People don't understand why I have little enthusiasm for Christmas and I've had my fair share of "bah humbug" comments and I'm tired of explaining.

Missy VanWinkle
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm staring down this barrel with my Mom. We've always been especially close and I've been tremendously lucky to have her as long as I have, but I just can't fathom a life without that amazing woman in it.

Crystal M
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Mine died of suicide 24 years ago, I'm still not "over it" and I'm okay with that.

Christine Watson
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Open up, and you will probably find people who feel the same but are pushing their feelings down. You can support each other and remember your love for your dad will never go away.

Kristina Atwood
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Don't get trapped in feeling like everyone else has moved on. Grief is individual. It's ok to miss your dad. It's not ok to stay in bed. Would he want that? You may not want to talk to anyone close, but you need to get the feelings out. My sister died a little over three years ago. I have some intense survivor's guilt, but I talk to her. It really helps.

MTNester
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am so sorry for your loss. My dad died in February and am still shocked that he's not here anymore. I revel in memories of him and am learning about the Korean war which he fought in. The only way out of grief is through it. Now if after many weeks or months you still can't function, you may want to see your doctor: complicated grief is a real thing and you may need help in such a situation. Prayers and blessings to you!

Ash
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you feel like you can't express this to people in your "real life", I would highly suggest getting a therapist, especially one that specializes in grief. They can help you get through it without a fear of them judging you.

Sweet Taurus
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Grief is a powerful thing to get through. Some are able to pull through easily and some struggle for years. I'm watching my husband go through the stages after losing his beautiful mother to cancer. The first few months were sadness, then he sort of leveled out emotionally but now he's angry. It breaks my heart to see the man I love feel this way and there's nothing I can say or do to make it better. Hopefully OP has someone they can talk to and cry with when the pain becomes too much or else it'll destroy you.

Sara Anderson
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This one hurts too much. 6 years on and it still hurts every day. Miss you, Dad.

She speaks poniards
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I feel this. My dad died when I was 24, just about thirty years ago. I think about him every day, and try to focus on appreciating everything he was and gave to me (vs. imagining what I lost/might have had) ~

She speaks poniards
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Of course, it's still hard and I'm crying as I type this! I'm glad you had home in your life, and I hope you can take all of his love for you forward into the rest of your life ~

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Karina
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Therapy ❤️ death is sadly a common thing, and we have been born with the ability to deal with it. When we dont, we need help to unravel the reason, so we can move on.

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#14

“I'm Grateful That I Woke Up Blind”: 30 Secrets People Are Keeping To Themselves I have a sweet one.

My father is convinced that lilies were my late mother's favorite flower, because their wedding venue was filled to the brim with them and she was supposed to be the one who picked the flowers. He got her lilies for every birthday, anniversary, and whenever she was in the hospital (my mother was in poor health most of her life). When she passed away, the funeral was full of lilies, and he still sometimes puts a vase of lilies beside her urn.

The thing is, my mother once confessed to me that lilies weren't her favorite flower. She was fine with them, but she preferred morning glories and sunflowers. My domineering grandmother, however, told her those weren't classy enough for a wedding and hounded her about it until my mom gave in and let her pick lilies. Mom was actually pretty wounded by how dramatic the floral arrangements ended up being - another big, showy way for her mom to say, "I'm right and you're wrong." When she later voiced this, my grandmother brushed it off with, "Please, no one's going to remember a thing about your wedding."

But my dad remembered. He got her lilies every day of their honeymoon, and by the end of the week she'd gone from annoyed to deeply touched. He didn't know the backstory, he just wanted to make her happy, and in doing so he kind of stripped the negative association away from them. She told me she liked that *he* gave her lilies more than flowers themselves. They turned from a symbol of being ignored to a sign that somebody was thinking of her happiness.

She swore me to secrecy, and I'll take it to the grave. RIP, Mom.

UPDATE: So as many of you have said, the "take it to the grave" line will mock me forever, because y'all convinced me to tell my dad today. As predicted, it only took a few hours to get a "this u?" text from a sibling, and we all quickly conferred and agreed I should call him in the morning.

And Dad's first reply? "Oh yeah, I know that, morning glories were her favorite. They just don't sell bouquets of those, so I'd get her the next best thing." Apparently she always said lilies were her favorite, but she talked about positive memories around morning glories so much that he put two and two together.

However, he had *no* idea that my grandmother chose the wedding flowers, and was kinda pissed to find out("Doesn't that just...sound like her?"😒). He wishes Mom said something, but figures maybe she didn't want to "win" and still end up thinking about a fight with her mom every time she looked at the flowers. He's touched to hear he made them special for her, but did say she often told him how much she appreciated it, just left out the stuff about the wedding. Interestingly, he thinks Mom actually exaggerated the honeymoon lilies; he's pretty sure he only gave her lilies twice, on the way out and on the way back home.

As I said in another post, Dad does not know what Reddit is and does not care to learn, but he thought it was nice that the story made people happy. Then he launched into telling me why I need to get a new car already, and the thread was lost lmao.

"Aw, that's good, see, you should send your little stories to the New Yorker or something! People will read them, I keep telling you!" - My dear old dad, who only vaguely understands what my side hustle is and has adorable faith in both me and the publishing industry as a result.

Dad did somehow completely miss that Mom liked sunflowers, to the point that I don't think he actually believes me ("Nah, I think you misunderstood, she liked that Van Gogh painting, that's what she meant." "The painting *of sunflowers,* Babo! That's why!"). But you can't win 'em all. 😂 Thanks for wrapping this up in a bow, Reddit!

yeweebeasties , Sümçiğ Report

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#15

“I'm Grateful That I Woke Up Blind”: 30 Secrets People Are Keeping To Themselves Sometimes I'm grateful that I woke up blind. I was a total workaholic and going blind was a nightmare that first summer, but the fact I couldn't work in nursing anymore-- ESPECIALLY post-covid-- did wonders for my mental health. I also realized how much I love hanging out with my 3 sons. I didn't know how much I loved their company until I wasn't working 50-60 hour weeks, mostly 3rd shift, so I hardly ever saw my kids. Being blind sucks, and I feel guilty sometimes for thinking that I prefer it to how things were before, but given the choice, I don't think I'd go back to being sighted, because that would mean the nightmare of working in nursing again and never seeing my husband and my kids.

Edit: to answer the most-asked questions...

I woke up with a disease called AZOOR. 131 people have it and it ate my retinas.

And for f**k's sake yall, I use a computer. I type with a keyboard and listen with TTS. It ain't rocket surgery. Blind folks use technology, same as yall lol

And if you asked me a question and I didn't answer it, sorry! There were a LOT of yall asking questions and I did my best to answer as many of yall that I could!

TrailMomKat , MART PRODUCTION Report

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Agfox
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For anyone interested: Acute Zonal Occult Outer Retinopathy (AZOOR) is characterised by sudden visual impairment, often presenting with scotoma (aka 'blind spot) and photopsia (seeing a light when not looking at a light) in young to middle-aged adults, showing a female predominance

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#16

I am so content and happy with my life (kids, wife, job, health) right now that I feel guilt. I rarely share my contentment with people (other than my wife) bc of it. It’s not that I’m like fabulously posh, or don’t have issues or whatever, im just sincerely content in my security and modest comforts.

I feel like you can’t simply acknowledge that your life is perfect without drawing the ire of someone else.

RUKnight31 Report

#17

My nieces and nephew think our house's Internet gets really spotty after an hour. It's always when they're watching cartoons or YouTube Kids on the tablet, too.

They think they've got it figured out. I hear them explaining to eachother that it's just something weird our house does when too many devices are using the router, and it always comes back after fifteen minutes.

"Yep, that's exactly it," I assure them, impressed with their technical proficiency, whilst pushing the *block devices* button on our router's phone app.

They have absolutely no idea I can do that. And since that's the most effective way to put the tablets down and get them outside for a bit, I ain't tellin'.

ImNotRacistBuuuut Report

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#18

“I'm Grateful That I Woke Up Blind”: 30 Secrets People Are Keeping To Themselves Every day, I fantasize about cashing everything in, leaving, and creating a new life for myself elsewhere... like a complete reinvention.

SQWRLLY1 , João Jesus Report

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elmortero
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You should do it! Really, if you think about it daily, you will eventually regret not doing it. 12 years ago I left my old life in Belgium to live in Spain. I am a completely different person now

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#19

For years, I’ve have always jokingly said that “I’m not a people person”. I really mean it. If I could get through a day without any kind of human interaction, I would be a very happy person. The thought of actually having to talk to people or be around them kind of ruins my day.

CarlosAVP Report

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Ample Aardvark
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I could go many days, even weeks, without any human interaction. I have to make a conscientious, some days huge, effort to talk to people

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#20

“I'm Grateful That I Woke Up Blind”: 30 Secrets People Are Keeping To Themselves I'm too burned out to function as a person outside of work anymore. Yes, I'll text my partner that I got home safe from work... but then I'll sit in the car and doom scroll or dissociate, sometimes up to an hour. I will also do this when I have to run errands. Just giant blocks of time I can't account for, pissed away.

I don't want to do this. I don't want to live like this. I don't know how to fix it.

InfiniteBackspace , Tim Marshall Report

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Sue Denham
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You've told us. Now tell someone else. And keep telling people until the right person helps you feel better. You deserve to enjoy life and it is possible.

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#21

I just found out 2 of my direct reports will be fired soon because of the restructuring and I have to keep it a secret. They are both excellent employees who do not deserve this at all. I’ve decided I’m handing in my resignation next week after 14 years and no other job lined up. I just can’t look these people in the face. I’m not cut out for this corporate b******t.

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Sava Hax
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

New and eager employees are extorted, given false compliments and büllshit titles like "Vice President of Extraneous Synergistic Initiatives and Interdepartmental Spreadsheet Coordination" and burn them out completely. They take pride in their work, thinking they're getting somewhere but they're not. After 6 years of doing this (yeah, personal experience if you didn't get it by now) and you threaten to leave, they'll just let you go. 🙂

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#23

I'm pregnant!
It's still very early and I haven't shared with friends or family yet, but I'm overjoyed. After almost a year of trying, it's a hard secret to keep--I want to shout it from the rooftops!

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kittylexy
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Congratulations! Really happy for you and wishing you and your family the best.

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#24

“I'm Grateful That I Woke Up Blind”: 30 Secrets People Are Keeping To Themselves In 6th grade, I peed in a bottle of coca cola that had 1/4 of it's content remaining. You see, this a*****e of a bully often tries to forcefully take my snack during recess, so I handed him that bottle of cola. He did make a comment that it had an awful after taste, but nothing too crazy of a reaction. At that moment, I felt like I would burst into laughter, but if I did, he would suspect something was wrong with the cola. I also knew i would be in a world of trouble if the teachers knew I did something horrendous like that. So i kept my mouth shut and walked away. Till this day, I haven't seen him since 6th grade, and I'm currently in my first year of college.

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#25

The heavy feeling of being lonely. It's not there all the time, it just hits you like an anchor sometimes. Don't have too many friends (mostly because I can be a difficult person to put up with). And its not like I want too many. Just want some company sometimes.

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Luke Branwen
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Uh, this one hit me hard. This profound loneliness. My friends live too far away and/or have lives where I'm just a minor element. When I say I yearn for a girlfriend, most people assume it's because of $ex, but in fact, I yearn for the company. I started writing to have at least these imaginary people to spend time with, but... okay, I'm ranting too much 😅

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#26

“I'm Grateful That I Woke Up Blind”: 30 Secrets People Are Keeping To Themselves Oh damn a lot of these are really dark, I am sorry for all of you and hope you get people that help you.

My secret is that I am in love with my roommate, but I am too afraid to tell her.

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ZGutr
Community Member
5 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Please, go for it! She might feel the same. Better to regret things that did not work out than regret the things you did not do. (It's a cliche but that does not mean it isn't true!)

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#27

When my mother was pregnant with me, they did an ultrasound and found she was having twins. When they did another ultrasound a few weeks later, they discovered that I had resorbed the other fetus. Do I regret this? No. I believe his tissues has made me stronger. I now have the strength of a grown man and a little baby.

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#28

“I'm Grateful That I Woke Up Blind”: 30 Secrets People Are Keeping To Themselves I'm currently in federal prison, using an unauthorized device, enjoying Reddit.

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Luis Hernandez Dauajare
Community Member
5 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Regardless of what you have or haven't done, I hope you find peace. And freedom soon, if that is on the cards...

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#29

“I'm Grateful That I Woke Up Blind”: 30 Secrets People Are Keeping To Themselves I'm NOT colorblind. When I was very young I didn't understand what colorblindness was. My dad is colorblind and I thought that automatically meant I was too. And apparently everybody did. I was maybe in high school before I actually took a test and... I aced it. But by then all my friends had been buying colorblind compatible versions of board games and we had all sorts of inside jokes about being colorblind. Honestly it's been a bonding moment with my friends. So I just haven't told them and I've kept up the ruse. For about 15 years now.

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#30

“I'm Grateful That I Woke Up Blind”: 30 Secrets People Are Keeping To Themselves That I have prostate cancer. I have told my siblings, and my next-door neighbor who also has it (we compare treatment options and progress - he chose radiation while i am considering surgery), but I feel like I would be garnering for sympathy if I shared it with more people that I know.

Edit - This blew up, I wasn't expecting that. Thanks to everyone for your responses, personal stories, and well-wishes. My neighbor is 83 and only had the option for radiotherapy or chemo. He chose the radiation. I am 70, and my options are radiation, surgery, and active monitoring thru mri and psa testing. Doctors all told me that radiation now would render me ineligible for surgery down the road if it comes back. My mri was PI RADS 4, and a biopsy returned 2 of 12 samples positive for cancer, all contained with the prostate, Gleason score 3+4. I hate the idea of not getting it out and possibly of it spreading to lymph nodes and/or bones. I'll go visit the surgeon tomorrow who has performed > 18,000 Robotic-assisted radical prostatectomies and has had excellent results and patient reviews. I hate everything about this, and I just want it all to be over with.

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Kari Panda
Community Member
5 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That is fine. With things like this, tell the people who truly care about you - your partner, parents etc. They deserve to know. But everyone else? You‘ll struggle enough without every other person asking you how treatment is going, especially if it’s not going well.

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#31

I'm so lonely and depressed now after my divorce, I lost all my friends. I'm just waiting for my family to pass on, then no one will even know I'm here.

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#32

I used a credit card and spent $1000+ to fix my partner’s car, I told her it was less than $300 so she wouldn’t feel bad.

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#33

I mixed leftover white and red wine and served it up in a rosé bottle.

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T'Mar of Vulcan
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There have been studies that show the whole wine thing is nonsense. One time they put red food colouring in white wine and the person tasted it and spoke about it like it was red wine. They also showed that you can put cheap plonk into an expensive bottle and people will ooh and aah over it and talk about it like it's expensive.

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#34

My wife and I regularly swing with a couple in our friend group. Nobody else knows.

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Annik Perrot
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Whatever floats your boat, as long as it's fully consensual and doesn't hurt anyone.

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#35

I, being a straight dude, exchanged oral with another guy (bi). He blew me in front of my now ex-wife (she was into it, I went with it like whatever, I get a bj!), and I went to his place to return the favor a few weeks later. Nice guy, coulda been friends I think but we fell outta touch.

Apparently I give pretty good head. Wasted talent.

Edit: Okay maybe 5% bi. Whatever. I'm not afraid of a d**k, and dammit, it's just decent to return the favor haha.

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#36

I hope my mom passes before she needs constant care and assistance. She has no savings whatsoever and in the last few years has become a source of stress and resentment for me. She used to be my go to person to confide in. We’d have great conversations but she’s become someone I don’t recognize anymore.

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Sava Hax
Community Member
5 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just soldier on. Went through this 2 years ago. Just do it. At the end they're a miserable shell of their previous selves but it's still them. And be there for them

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#37

I once ate an entire box of double stuff Oreos in one sitting.

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#38

My girlfriend’s previous partner died young of s***ide, he had cancer and chose to end it. I’m having symptoms associated with colon cancer now, just found blood in my stool this morning and have been having dull abdominal pains, change in stool habits. It may be something else, have appointment tomorrow with my doctor. My gf will never know.

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#39

“I'm Grateful That I Woke Up Blind”: 30 Secrets People Are Keeping To Themselves It was me who farted in the car, not the dog! And I enjoyed it!

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Justanotherpanda
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That is not a secret, we know, my husband does it all the time and we just play along.

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#40

I've been depressed for a couple of weeks now. I had a heavy depressive year couple years back that I eventually ovèrcame, but I see a lot of similar symptoms bounce back. I was kind of vocal about it in the beginning, but I can see that it puts a strain on my SO who is also overworked and tired lately, so I try to keep the facade.

I know the root reasons for it, but there isn't much i can do about it. Not sure how i'll get out of it this time.

Edit: this gathered more attention than I expected for a little rant on the subway home. I'm fine y'all and when i'm not, I will be. This shall pass too.

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Cool crow
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When you find someone to talk to, you may start to feel better. It's so hard to carry these feelings and thoughts alone, isn't it?

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#41

I fantasise the slow painful deaths, of people who talk loudly on the phone on public transport.

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Justanotherpanda
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not deaths, I always wish for that person to get an eternal itch in a place that can't be reached. Death is not harsh enough....

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#42

I have a birth defect that required emergency brain surgery every so often. I have had over 30 surgeries and in between that time period I have had countless CT scans and chest X-rays. I have worried about the exposure overtime. I have a family history of all kinds of cancer. Under my arms (axillary/armpit) hurts in the lymph node area. I have a preventative colonoscopy scheduled soon and I worry that they will find something. I worry that my body is riddled with cancer. I can’t tell anyone close because I don’t want to scare them if it is nothing, but the stress of the unknown is killing me.

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Greyling Streets
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This sounds like a nightmare. I have a fear that cancer is inevitable for me at this point. I surely hope OP has or gets a good therapist. What a terrible thing to have to bear alone. More than anything, I hope they are cancer-free!

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#43

I really want my mom to move out of my house. She divorced her 7th husband and needed a temporary place to stay. That was 3 years ago. I'm 30 years old. I have no privacy in my own home and I've been with my partner since a few months after she moved in. We want to be able to move in together. But she's unwilling to live with him and goes out of her way to make him miserable when he's around. I know she's disabled and can't support herself but this is exhausting and I feel like my life is stuck on hold.

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#44

When i was 16/17 I made out with my mums friend who is also the mum of one of my best friends from school. She's also a secondary school teacher (not my school) so it was pretty illegal.


I wanted it to go further but she stopped it, but we kissed a few times on other occasions after that and she wanted to wait until I'm 18 before we went further. My mum would k*ll me/her if she found out. My school friend would probs k*ll me to, so it's a secret I gotta take to the grave.

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#45

I can’t tell if I’m in love with my partner or if I’m just comfortable… or if I’m just incapable of letting myself relax and be happy.

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Kerensa Scott
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

this resonates. I am not in love with my partner anymore, haven't been for a while, I have tried to tell him but he isn't hearing me. It is beginning to really impact my life but i don't want to hurt him more than is necessary

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#46

How bad my addiction is.

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Sava Hax
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Seek help. Long time friend was addicted to several different medications and I had no idea until he told me he quit. It was quite the shock

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#47

My best friend constantly uses me as an outlet for her anger and frustration and it’s giving me anxiety and depression when I’m around her bc I don’t know when I might say/do something that’s gonna make her explode.

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#48

I don't really love her but I tell her that I do because nobody else does. She deserves to feel loved. She deserves to be loved, but unfortunately I just don't love her.

I know that when I eventually have to break it off with her she's going to be devastated and I only want her to be happy. I've created this problem.

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LaserBrain
Community Member
5 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've stayed with lovers out of pity also. It just never works, even if you don't want them to have the short term pain of being broken up with. I don't agree with Sara though, that doesn't make you evil. But still, break it off now if you're planning on doing it later.

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#49

I’m growing resentment towards my family and idk how to stop it. The older I get the more I realize I’m not compatible with these people and how they choose to live.

Edit for the people giving advice to move away.

I’m 30 now and only living back with them because Covid messed up the industry I worked in and the financial stability built up in my 20s. I moved out at 19 and never had to come back till now. I will move out again that’s not the issue. It’s more so a bunch of little things that add up making me not even want to be associated with them. I’ve stopped trying to nudge them in a different direction because they are comfortable with their living standards. I just know when I have kids in the future they’ll be upset to hear the truth about why I’m not ever letting them stay over here.

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kissmychakram
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nice that OP can lower their standards to slum it and allow their family to support them until they can afford to put them in the rear view mirror.

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#50

My wife is giving me depression.

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Sandella
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It is clinically proven than living with a depressed partner 4 times out of 5 also makes the other partner depressed!!! So yes, a person can give you depression.

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