Caroline Schaeffer

Writer

Best friends have a habit of telling each other everything, but is there ever a time that it’s not necessarily wise to tell a friend absolutely everything? Sometimes people do stupid things. Sometimes these people are your friends. And sometimes, they may not quite remember doing these stupid things and may rely on you to enlighten them a bit. What’s up to you is whether or not you do enlighten them and, personally, I think a lot of that depends on how much “damage control” is needed after the event(s) in question have taken place.

If you or one of your friends has ever had one of those nights where you made a few minor indiscretions along the way, you know that the aftermath can sometimes be a little messy. In these situations, it’s probably wisest to let your friends and anyone else know about whatever your indiscretions were, especially if they have the potential of affecting your daily life or well being.

That being said, not every indiscretion is necessarily the end of the world. Sometimes it makes for an interesting story! But you should also be aware that if telling a friend about an indiscretion will embarrass him or her or hurt his or her feelings, it might be better to just let the issue rest. If telling your friend will do more harm than good, dropping it altogether is probably the best option.

Everybody has done things they’re not proud of before, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it should hang over their heads for the rest of the year. Tell your friends about indiscretions or mistakes only if it serves a higher purpose–not just for the sake of poking fun at their less-than-wise decisions. They are your friends after all, and someday, you might be grateful if they afford you the same sort of leniency.