adminGlen Dhliwayo Cool Feature
The fourth-year Electronic Engineering class at Harare Institute of Technology had just finished writing their in-class test when the lecturer, Mr Chamunorwa, started collecting the class scripts and the question paper.
While collecting the papers the lecturer told the class not to discuss the test questions with the parallel class because they were going to write a slightly similar tests a few hours later.
In a bid to help the class realise how important it was to maintain confidentiality if required, Mr Chamunorwa gave a small informal talk to the class of innovative engineers. He said: “Some of you will become Cabinet ministers and if you cannot be trusted with such a small issue, how will you be able to handle sensitive information at such greater levels,” Mr Chamu, as he is affectionately known by his students, proceeded to say: “In life you need to learn the ART OF KEEPING SECRETS.”
Indeed, Mr Chamunorwa was right. You will not rise to go far in life if you do not master the art of keeping secrets. He will not succeed he who does not know what to keep a secret and how to keep it secret.
While keeping a secret seems so banal, it is needful to remind you that most people fail to do so. This is why those who master the art gain the respect of their fellows and their contemporaries.
You will find that people will always gravitate to a person who can be reliably trusted to keep their secrets.
But if keeping a secret is not that difficult what then are the little things that make it so difficult a task to uphold? The answer lies within the personal habits of people which are responsible for etching certain parts of their mind with grooves that determine their natural thinking and acting processes.
There are certain habits people have that effectively naturally leads them to being people of a weak disposition in character. These are the little things we will discuss that you should try and avoid if you are to master the art of keeping secrets.
Think before you speak
Most people immediately regret letting out a secret they were trusted with the moment they do. While it has been said over and over again it remains true that most people need to be reminded before they speak.
If careful thought is given before words are spoken then there should be no reason to regret words said at any given moment. Words and speech should always follow an intricate thought process which becomes a natural endowment once you start practising it.
Speak only when you have something to say
Do not speak without reasoning. Speaking was designed to facilitate communication between people. Unfortunately most people speak even if they have nothing to communicate.
That is why they end up spilling things that were never intended for the public domain. If you have nothing to communicate then speaking is unnecessary, maybe listening will do just better.
A cell phone is a communication device just like your mouth is, it will not ring unless if you have a call to make. Program yourself to act like a cell phone; learn to open your mouth only when you have something worthwhile to say.
Never speak when bitter or emotional
A lot of people spill secrets which are damaging when they are angered. This is because their emotions are doing the talking and the mind is shut. It’s better to just keep quiet when emotional or angry, if you can’t shut your mouth go away for a while or lock yourself in so that you do not say things that you will regret later.
Anger and emotional moments are times when most people are susceptible to spill secrets because they want to fix the other person for wronging them. But there is nothing honourable about letting out things shared in confidence even when wronged or angered. Some people have a habit of letting out their former friends secrets in the event of a fallout.
This is unnecessary as it does no one good. In fact, if you want to keep your reputation intact desist from speaking about the people you have fallen out with.
Value the trust bestowed to you
It’s easy to let out secrets if you do not really give serious thought to the value of trust bestowed to you by those who confide in you. In a world inhabited by over seven billion people, it should count for something that someone picks you to confide in you.
That alone is a reason enough to be able to keep your mouth from blabbering about people’s confidential information. Value the trust that other people have in you and guard it with honour.
Keeping secrets is a must have personality trait if you are to become a part of the order of greatness!
Till next week, God bless you all.
Ciao . . .
The writer is a motivational teacher. He can be contacted on [email protected]
Online Reporter