21 Answers

You keep secrets out of respect for the person telling you (assuming the person telling you is talking about him or herself- if not you are listening to 2nd hand news which is gossip and may or may not be true.  Imagine that you ghave shared something to get it off your chest but you really don't want that person to tell a soul...and remember that when someone tells you a secret.

The only reason to break your promise is if the secret is about a person's plan for suicide or homicide and you absolutely feel they will carry out the plan- In which case you can call a crisis center to discuss your options.

If you hear a secret you can't handle...a friend is cheating on their spouse or sig. other, has driven drunk damaged property etc, you get the pic. Discuss your feelings of discomfort etc with the person who told you- not someone else!  daren's idea is also a good choice!  Or talk to your higher Power/ God about it.

Gossip is awful and often untrue or drastically exagerated.

Don,t tell anybody I,m telling you this,the answer is don,t tell.

You keep a secret by not telling anyone.  Not telling anyone requires strength, commitment, and respect for yourself as well as the person who has confided in you.  When someone trusts you with a secret, you should consider yourself a very valuable friend of that person. 
Keeping those secrets is a personal choice. If you aren't able to keep confidences, be a good enough friend to let people know you aren't good at keeping secrets and ask them not to tell you anything that should be kept confidential.  

Keeping a secret can be difficult, and when it is a juicy secret it might be near impossible. It takes a great deal of willpower and determination, not to want to tell someone what you just heard. If you feel that you do not have the willpower necessary, then do not put yourself in the position of even hearing a secret. If you don't keep a secret it can hurt you in the long run. If it is a secret that you have created yourself and don't want anybody to know then don't ever even bring it up. Chances are you'll end up "Spillin the beans"

By keeping your mouth shut.

I usually forget what the person has told me... I never repeat anything because the information is gone... zero pressure this way.

simple tell only dead people your secret!

never tell anyonr then it will be a secret for ever

The secret in keeping a secret is to keep it a secret and not say anything more about it.

Never, ever mention them (and/or allude to them) to ANYBODY - period - no exceptions!

Put the secret our of your own mind to resist the temptation to repeat it........

I don’t keep secrets and when asked to keep a secret I tell the blabber-mouth that the world will know if you tell me. Secrets separate people into little groups of secret holders and not secret holders. Cults, covens, secret orders of whatever enlist various folk to join and swear them into their secret  knowing. This ritualized special glory is not for everyone and everyone that is not a member is a WOG (without organizational guidance), or a mark. Of course, in the secret group, you are rewarded with specialized knowledge WOGs don’t know. Sometimes money or opportunity for money comes along with loyalty tests which has ever greater penalties for failure and increasing appearance of being a criminal club. I don’t keep secrets.     

it seems that akaQA members have been learning their lessons. Hurrah for us.

Telling secrets can ruin a life. It can ruin a friendship and it can make you look bad in the minds of the people you tell. Low class to blab.

Don't be a woman.

Ducky

Ahhh...sexism is alive and well! Women are also poor drivers? Women are also the weaker sex? tsk tsk tsk... :)

I don't keep secrets , bs the truth always come out at the end.

I'll let you into a little secret if you promise not to tell anyone.       I can't keep one.

Most people will keep secrets as long as they like you.  When the friendship ends, kiss your secrets goodbye.

I don’t keep secrets and when asked to keep a secret I tell the blabber-mouth that the world will know if you tell me. Secrets separate people into little groups of secret holders and not secret holders. Cults, covens, secret orders of whatever enlist various folk to join and swear them into their secret  knowing. This ritualized special glory is not for everyone and everyone that is not a member is a WOG (without organizational guidance), or a mark. Of course, in the secret group, you are rewarded with specialized knowledge WOGs don’t know. Sometimes money or opportunity for money comes along with loyalty tests which has ever greater penalties for failure and increasing appearance of being a criminal club. I don’t keep secrets.     

I'm not telling!

By whispering the secret to someone you think you can trust and prefacing it with a "don't tell anyone,ok" ?