When you finally meet a significant other, it often feels like you've found a missing link, and that you've met someone you can trust far more than anyone else.
However, whether they've been dating them for a few weeks or married to them for decades, countless people still withhold some information from their partners.
Sometimes, it's fairly trivial matters, such as watching a show without them they promised they'd wait for them to do, or eating the last ice cream bar before they could get to it.
Other times, the secrets they are harboring are considerably more dark, and might bring their relationship to an effective end.
Redditor CowboyLikeMegan was curious to hear all the secrets people are still withholding from their partners, leading them to ask:
"What’s a secret you’ll never tell your significant other?"
Work/Life Balance Is Important
"That sometimes, her ambitions get in the way of living an actual life."
"Like Bill Withers said ; 'It's okay to head out for wonderful. But when you get to all right, stop and take a look around. Because this might be as far as you need to go'."- ezionjd
Does Anyone Say How They Really Feel About Their In-Laws?
"That his mother is an exhausting gossiping windmill of geriatric nonsense."- PettySquabble
Marriage Might Not Have Been The Best Idea?
"That I often fantasize about being a hermit in a cabin in the complete wilderness."- SaladFingerzzz
cabin in the woods horror GIF by Signature EntertainmentGiphy
Mommy Issues...
"That i think his mom is a terrible person because she didn't protect him. and their relationship is super weird."- Routine_Wear8442
Everyone Deserves A Little Self-Therapy
"I occasionally take a day off work to have some time to myself."
"I love them dearly, but I cherish having the apartment to myself, watching what I want on TV, and just enjoying the solitude."
"It’s my secret mental health day."- New_Art_1721
Only As Happy As The Ones They Love
"How challenging it is to navigate through their depressive episodes."
"Some days I’m so exhausted from picking up the slack and taking care of the kids and working."
"It’s hard to find compassion."
"I know he didn’t choose this."
"Some days are just harder than others, and today was one of those days."
"I love you more than you’ll ever know."- exWiFi69
Ignorance Is Bliss
"A few years ago one of our cats died after we had her for 14 years."
"We were all heartbroken and devastated by her loss."
"We noticed something was wrong on Thursday, took her to the vet on Friday, and she died late Sunday night."
'The night she died, I sent everyone to bed and I stayed up with her."
"She kept getting into the bathtub and lying down as opposed to a bed we had set up for her."
"Just before she died, she let out a horrible scream and went into convulsions."
"Then she just stopped breathing."
"I never told my spouse or kids about that last few moments."
"I just told them she just slipped away."
"I still want to cry every time I think about it."
"I will never tell them about that."- 123fofisix
The Truth Can Hurt
"When we first met he made me promise 'if I ever gain too much weight you have to tell me to hit the gym'.”
"We laughed about it, but that was almost 5 years ago, and now he has gotten pretty overweight, and I don’t know if I’m supposed to keep my promise or just let him choose his own path with his weight."
"I’m still attracted to him and love him more than ever, but I want him to be healthy."- Hot-Neck-9524
You Can't Choose Your In-Laws...
"That I don't like his family."- its_annaa_
Season 3 Smoking GIF by The SimpsonsGiphy
Not All Secrets Are Bad
"The day after I met his parents for the first time in person, we were driving to his hometown and I had fallen asleep."
"I then woke up hearing them talking about me."
"His dad, a man of few words, said 'a woman like her who is both beautiful and intelligent is extremely hard to find'."
"You are lucky and blessed'.”
"They kept speaking such pure, lovely, genuine words about me for a while, in Spanish at that."
"My boyfriend kept kissing my forehead while they were talking, assuming I was still asleep."
"I was listening the entire time."
"Additional context: I’m Asian but I had been learning Spanish for a few months so I could connect with his family more."
"They probably would’ve thought I couldn’t understand them if I was 'awake', too, hehe."- Agile_Mud4957
Always Consider Pulling People Up Before Kicking Them Down
"I manipulate a lot of his negative feelings about himself:"
"I know when he’s feeling sh*tty and insecure."
"He has come a long way since we met, but growing up in an abusive household where he was constantly put down by his AH father, he has a lot of issues of self-worth and can lapse into a dark place he thinks he hides."
"This doesn’t happen nearly as much as it used to, but when it does I’ll purposely let him catch me creeping on him or tease him about someone checking him out."
"I’ll have a conversations about what a great person he is and how lucky I am."
"I’ll make sure I’m far enough away that he thinks I think he can’t hear."
"I make excuses to avoid brother (his brother will touch every insecure nerve he has as brothers do, I do enjoy his brothers company so we make up for it when my husbands in a better head space)."
"I message his friends to encourage them to arrange boys nights out and push my husband to go."
"As manipulative as it is, I honestly just want him to see himself through my eyes."- PunkRockRenegade_
All Work, No Play... Or Vice Versa?
"My WFH job is pretty easy."
"The week or 2 around a deadline can be busy, but most of the time it's a laid back 25-30 hrs a week."
"He's working long hours at a stressful job."
"I feel bad telling him I'm mostly just listening to podcasts, working and getting things done around the house at a leisurely pace all day."- PleasantSalad
Tired Fat Cat GIF by Boomerang OfficialGiphy
Someone Needs To Know
"How hard it actually is on me and my psyche to keep the family going."
"My wife is suffering from severe depression combined with schizophrenia."
"We had it a bit under control at first, but it got worse after the birth of our son."
"Now he is in high school and my wife's condition is the worst it has been so far."
"Crying all the time, sometimes sleeping all day (to stop the crying), always seeing everything in the worst possible way, worrying about little things that are months away."
"The medication is helping a bit (she now hears voices less frequently), and the doctor is trying to find the right medicine and dose, but it's quite exhausting for me."
"I have to work, also do the grocery shopping and cooking."
"Our son is on the autism spectrum."
"He himself doesn't seem to mind it or give it a lot of thought, but we parents are quite worried about his future due to his several quirks and problems."
"I'm always telling my wife that I'm fine, so as not to worry her and trigger maybe an anxiety attack or something, but the truth is I'm feeling completely burnt out."
"In the last 18 months I've turned to alcohol a lot, but I'm trying my best to reduce, because it's so taxing on the body."
"I'm working a s a freelance translator (where rates are low and everything's a rush job), so taking a break or going traveling isn't really an option."
"I get stomach aches when there's too little work (meaning: little income) and also when there's too much work all at once and I have to turn down some offers."
"Even smaller jobs sometimes seem overwhelming."
"Old hobbies aren't fun any more."
"Mostly I'm just sitting there browsing through memes to not have to think too much."
"But giving up isn't an option."
"We've made it over 22 years together and I won't quit."
"I'm just a bit tired is all."
"Thanks for reading this scrambled mess."- Pleasant-Chance-6230
Always Wondering "Why?"...
"That I haven’t been happy since he asked me for divorce a couple of years ago."
"I was ready to follow through and last minute he backtracked, but he never said he was sorry, and I haven’t been able to fully come back from that."
"I don’t think I love him the same since."- wookieejesus05
Probably Not The Only One
"That I hate the baby voice she makes."- sprrite25
Relationships are all about trust.
In which case, it's always best to be honest with your spouse whenever possible.
Of course, sometimes keeping a secret, or withholding information from them is exactly what it will take to maintain their trust.