: Secrets tied to shame—feeling like a "bad person"—lead to more obsessive thinking and rumination than those tied to guilt.

The Secret Life of Secrets: How Our Inner Worlds Shape Well-Being, Relationships, and Who We Are

The concept of a "secret" spans everything from the personal burdens we carry to the classified operations of global superpowers. While some secrets are kept to protect national security, others are maintained to preserve a sense of wonder or personal privacy. The Psychology of Secret-Keeping