saying 'don't tell anyone' does it really work

It really depends on what kind of secret is that. There was a time when I used to tell this to my friend but I'm not sure if will they really keep their mouth shut. Sometimes. I told them "Don't tell anyone" about like this but deep inside I know that they will tell it to others.

I have no problem keeping a secret. If someone says to me 'Don't tell', then I won't tell. It's that simple. I do, however have a problem with this person that I know that has the tendency to tell me a secret that I'm not supposed to tell, but then she tells someone else the same secret and then tells yet another person. So in effect this so called secret has been revealed to a number of people including myself and yet none of us are supposed to tell anyone else. Do you see the danger of this? I had to tell this person that if her secret got out, that she was not to blame me for telling. Someone else blabbed her secret. I made sure that she knew up front that it would never be my fault if her secret got out. Needless to say, I try to avoid people like that who don't seem to know even how to keep their own secret a secret.

I believe those words compell people to repeat it.

No I have not had this problem If someone asks me to keep something a secret, then I keep it. I don't go blabbing my mouth and I don't suddenly get the urge to tell someone just because they asked me not to. Good thing you warn people beforehand that you like to jabber. I think that it is very disrespectful and I would not want a friend like this.

I am actually very good about keeping things secret, when people tell not to tell anyone, then I won't tell anyone. I know that I am not in the majority on this, because most people can't wait to pass on a bit of gossip. I think it is sad, because when I tell somebody something in confidence I expect them to keep it to themselves. Then again, I know which people I can trust with private information and which people I can't. When in doubt, I say nothing.

I don't thinks it works.because if it works then how our private things are open to other persons although you was not going to tell them.and you are right it does not matter how close your friend that you that word but that friend also tell your things to their close one surly.

If some one tells me something in confidence I will never disclose it to any one...why? because then it will turn into gossip and that can hurt a lot of people.

Hahaha, this is so true indeed It is like the word ' secret ' , don't tell anyone is just like telling one person at a time with the sentence 'don't tell anyone, it is a secret'...'I am not suppose to tell you thi' and so on and so forth. It is useless, it seems human can't really keep a secret too long, it will burst out one day.

I have a friend that says that all of the time. If she tells me something that someone has told her as a secret it makes me wonder what she tells about me. For this reason I don't usually tell her anything that I don't want others to know. If I am told something and am told not to discuss it, I usually won't.

i am not like that as most of the time i tend to be vocal since i get use to being too honest and too forward most of the time. i am open to criticism and opinion and so far debate n a friendly manner. by the way also learn to do that when the person tell me to keep it secret as he show confident in me. most of the time i like to be open and frank and don;t like to hide less where it could destroy me.

Well i am good at keeping everyone's secret. I don't pay much attention to gossiping and giggling about anybody else. I don't have that much of time. I am sure the people i share my secrets are worthy of keeping them and don't worry about it much. Anyways it totally depends about the situation and people you share your secrets with.

I know that is human nature, to a point... but an honorable person will not tell if they care about you. However, don't tell me you killed someone and then expect me not to tell. I think there are limits on what you should and shouldn't tell. As for me, if you tell me not to tell, you can rest assured that I'm going to forget anyway and will not have any memory of being told anything. Those that know me know that my forgetter is getting better and better these days. If someone told me they killed someone though, I bet I would remember long enough to call 911 though.

they DON'T work, them words fall on deaf ears with some people because they are so bored with their lives they have to repeat things that you have told them to make their lives more interesting, i know someone who i said these words to and she literally went and told some people what i had told her after me asking her not to, i do not trust her one bit and i learned a valuable lesson, that if you don't want people to know your business, don't tell anyone, she cannot keep her mouth shut and she just loves to repeat things to make her life a bit more interesting, thank goodness i never told her anything deep and personal about my private life, it would be all over the place in no time, if someone says to me DON'T tell anyone, i tell them not to tell me if they don't want others to know, but i am a keeper of my word if someone asks me not to say anything i don't, because it's not of any interest to me and it's forgotten about the minute i am told.

You're right! The minute you tell someone not to tell anyone, they do, I know it happened to me. When I was a young teen, I told my best friend a secret and she couldn't keep it and told her parents. As a result my life changed forever, I quit school, got a job and ended up married twice. Anyway, I'll not go into all the details about what happened, as it's pretty personal. Beware of who you tell secrets to!!

Just be careful on telling your secrets to anyone,find a friend that you can really trust.As for me,i'm good in keeping secrets,really!why?because i want everybody to trust me.Once you break their trust,it's hard to get it back,right?

Telling someone a secret then saying "Don't tell anyone" is like an invitation to do so. I usually keep my mouth shut when someone tells me a secret, that's why a lot of my friends tell me a lot of their secrets. Not because I believe in the "don't tell anyone" thing, but rather I always believe that it's not my place to tell somebody about someone, be it habits, finances, personal life or work. If someone approaches me and asks me about someone, the first thing that comes to my mind is why are they asking and what benefits if any will come out from their asking of information. If it is just for pure gossip, I ignore such people. That's why the gossip mongers in the companies I worked for hated me because I don't have a reaction to any news they give, nor do I give them anything to gossip about.

Yes, I have found this too. I don't know what it is, but asking somebody to keep a secret, doesn't work 9 times out of 10. However, I have known one or two friends who really have kept such information to themselves. And I do it myself. As a therapist, I never talk about my clients and their problems, and if a friend asks me not to divulge anything, I will not do so. _Derek

I think promise in these words is very difficult to keep for ever. There is a hidden tendency in almost person to reveal it as a confidential matter. Further such one confidential matter is one of the tools used to get a more important confidential matter.

That is true. It is not so effective at all. I have told it to people many times and many times people have told this to me. The latest was last night when both me and an acquaintance said these thing - that concerns one of our dear and common friend. I just hope she'd keep the promise although I know that when our common friend hear about it - she will understand why as it is all for her concern only.

Yes,lol. It's like the feeling that you need to pass that secret burden or want to see how other maybe shock on the secret information you get. But for me, when someone told me their secret and to tell anybody. I would always do that, so they will always trust me. I know what is the feeling of having a burden that you cannot tell someone. I like to be their shoulder to lean on,the one they can trust to,no matter what.