The Limitations of Secrecy
Epictetus once said that “the key to happiness is knowing that some things are within your control”. Keeping a secret has been asserted by Epictetus as the most obvious exercise of free choice since the choice of whether to reveal the secret is within your power. But is the decision of keeping a secret, though it manifests your power in exercising free will, makes you free? Free choice in order to attain its fulfillment must be enjoyed. It must be exercise with peace and without fear that would not destroy something. People’s innate capability to recognize the morally right and wrong, their innate conscience, their culture or sense of spirituality and the idea of cause and effect are the major factors that will determine whether an action or decision, just like keeping a secret, is justifiable or not. Though Epictetus asserted that keeping a secret reflects man’s power of free will but does the effects and consequences within yourself and others makes you free?
Human beings keep secrets for many intentions which will either be for a selfless good advantage or for selfish personal gain. But there are others who keep secrets because they are being threatened by something or someone more powerful. Some people keep secrets because the more they are being asked, the more they feel powerful and special. They apparently enjoy the privilege of being peculiar and authentic. While some keep secrets about themselves to prevent dealing with the problem at hand, to prevent embarrassment and eventually rejection. They are afraid that in revealing a secret, the enemy may retaliate or revenge. By nature, secrecy separates the secret keeper to those who don’t know the secret. This separation may result to feeling of loneliness and putting some restrictions in social interaction. Apparently, keeping secrets for the secret keeper becomes problematic and unhealthy.
Our human freedom in keeping secrets is actually self imposed. We keep secrets in accordance to our beliefs and attitudes. Our spiritual world, upbringingness, tradition or any other forms of social orientation gives human beings unlimited possibilities in action and in words. To conform in keeping a secret depends on our beliefs or mind pattern which will be manifested in actions. There is no such thing as absolute freedom since everybody creates their own individuality according to their own standard and orientation. However, to keep a secret that will defile someone the right to live and the right to choose is another story. Though people have conflicting ideas about many things but everybody desires to experience life and exercise their free will. Keeping a secret is a choice but to defile the basic human rights of a person in keeping a secret is a crime. There is no freedom in defiling the life of another for selfish interest since at the end it will only create unhappiness.
In keeping a secret, you stop to be free when you are not already acting according to your innate virtuous, that is when your intentions are not good. When a person is happy, that is keeping a secret for a good cause, he will fully exercise his free will without fears. Plato and Aristotle believe that a person, in order to be happy, must choose to act according to his reason and knowledge. Basically, both believe that men as rational beings have the choice to act according to their will. Virtue leads to happiness, and man should act according to this knowledge (Maher). Plato views happiness as a path and as direction. Plato affirms that in attaining happiness, one must exhibit love and lack of desire. One must realize that the nature of goodness is innate, and when this nature is revealed, he or she will consequentially be happy. Moreover, Plato claims that true happiness is achieved only in the performance of one’s own duty, especially the duty of exercising justice as the highest form of virtue. (“Plato and Aristotle”). Thus, in Plato’s view of happiness, individual happiness is sacrificed for the good of the community. Secrecy, though may force you to lie at times, becomes good when you exercise it for the sake of duty with humanity. However, following Plato and Aristotle view to happiness, a secret must be revealed when someone will be negatively affected. In order to fully experience man’s power towards keeping a secret, it must not negatively affect him and other people twisting the real sense of goodness which are innate.
Reference:
“Ancient Landmarks: Plato and Aristotle.” Theosophy 27.1 September 1939: 483-491. 21
November 2008 from ;http://www.blavatsky.net/magazine/theosophy/ww/additional/ancientlandmarks/PlatoAndAristotle.html;.
Maher, Michael. “Happiness.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 7. New York:
Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 21 November 2008 ;http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07131b.htm;.
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