A new British study finds that about four in 10 women cannot keep a secret no matter how confidential the subject. What really surprised the researchers was the speed with which the confidantes spilled the beans: in less than 48 hours!
The study, which was commissioned by the UK Director of Wines of Chile (?!), involved 3,000 women between the ages of 18 and 65. The most common recipients of their secrets? Boyfriends, husbands, best friends, and their mothers.
I think there may be something to this last bit of information. I recently told a friend a secret, and she said, "I won't even tell my husband," which made me pause. I wonder if women tell themselves that those people don't count, whereas telling a co-worker, for example, would count. Do you have a hard time keeping secrets? If you're curious about some of the research's other fascinating (if not surprising) findings on women and secrets, read more.
- Women hear an average of three items of gossip a week.
- Three in 10 women have "the urge" to reveal secrets.
- Two-thirds of women felt guilty after revealing a secret.
- More than four in 10 women think it's OK to tell a friend's secret with someone who doesn't know them.
- 83 percent of women consider themselves 100 percent trustworthy.
Miss Sixty
Thank gods. I thought it was just me!
1Psh. My boyfriend doesn't count!
2There was a blog the other day sighting a study that women lie less than men. Now I'm thinking maybe it's becuase they're telling too much truth, lol.
3so how long do men keep secrets?
4If you don't want someone to know your secret simply don't tell anybody. How do you expect someone to keep a secret that you couldn't even keep. Secrets are for NONE to know, when one of more person knows your secret then is not a secret.
5More than one person could be involved in the secret, therefore, more than one person would know the secret.
I don't count my boyfriend because my boyfriend doesn't usually care, I just tell him anyway. He's not going to say anything. Unless it involves him.
And where is the study of men?
6I am guilty of what I call anonymous secrets. If some one tells me something really juicy I may discuss it with another friend who is in a different circle of friends and lives in a different region and the likelihood of them ever meeting is low. This is because sometime people tell me things that require feedback or advice even and I like to bounce it off a confidant and hear what they have to say about it.
7Haha is this really news? And Chaton is totally right - boyfriends don't count!
8I don't think my boyfriend counts. He's like my counsellor and I highly value his advice... so if a friend tells me a secret (especially one he doesn't know), I often go for him for advice about what to advise him/her with. Or if it's especially juicy or worrisome and I just need to get it out of my system, I tell him to have someone other than the person who told me the secret, just to have someone to discuss things with.
Generally speaking though, I don't spread other people's secrets around.
9Hahaha. I haven't spelt the secrets my estranged friend asked me to keep. But I did spill the family secret of that friend that my mother told me. But I have a reason for it. I vowed against gossip a long time ago. But you can't help but submit yourself to some once in awhile. It's true. It's very guilt-inducing. I tell secrets as examples but I don't say names. I HATE GOSSIP!
10It's pretty much an absolute given that if you tell someone in a relationship their spouse or partner is going to be told.
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