It’s always nice to share, but some personal things are best kept to yourself, even around the love of your life. Some put you at risk of infections, while others could land you in court with thousands of dollars in fines, so you should never share the following 18 things with others!
Intrusive Thoughts
Do you remember that awful thing you thought of in the shower or before you fell asleep last night? Intrusive thoughts such as these are normal, but you shouldn’t share them with others. Everyone has them, but they can sound crazy and out of context when you tell other people about them.
Towels
The towels you use to dry yourself after bathing get stained with oils, dirt, and dead skin, so do you really want to share that with other people? This isn’t just about grossness though – Mayo Clinic points out that such cross-contamination can even lead to serious illnesses like staphylococcus.
Handkerchiefs
Handkerchiefs follow the same playbook as towels—they’re hygiene items that most likely already hold bacteria, and sharing them puts you at risk of cross-contaminating skin infections. Let’s be honest–if someone offered you their used handkerchief, you’d probably find that pretty gross despite the kind gesture.
Toothbrushes
Even with your romantic partner, you shouldn’t share a toothbrush. Toothbrushes remove bacteria from your teeth, and no matter how well you rinse them, some germs will still remain on the bristles. Sharing a toothbrush with others means you may introduce new harmful bacteria into your mouth, which is just not wise.
Relationship Issues
Moving onto the sharing of thoughts, you’ll want to be careful with whom you share your relationship issues with. By sharing relationship problems with just anyone, you put your partner’s business out there for people who shouldn’t know, which isn’t fair.
Family Problems
Issues within your family are complex, and it’s almost impossible for an outsider to understand them fully. You can seek help to lift a family-related burden off you, but sharing negative details about family members will only lead to upset and resentment.
Personal Insecurities
We all know how our insecurities can take away our confidence, but when you share this with others, you give them the power to use your insecurities against you. Some people even lose some respect for you, which is the last thing you want in a professional setting.
Passwords
Never, ever share your passwords with anyone. Most of us can admit that we use similar passwords on all our online accounts, so sharing a password could compromise your online security. It’s more serious when you consider that most of your life is accessible through the internet—including your finances.
Combs
Returning to objects that you should never share, combs are a commonly shared item that probably shouldn’t be. Unsanitized combs put users at risk of ringworm, folliculitis, and impetigo infections, all of which we’re sure you’ll agree are not ideal for sharing with friends or family.
Lip Balms
You shouldn’t just avoid sharing lip balms with other people, but even yourself. As Dr. Laleh Gharahbaghian informed the New York Times, throwing away your lip balm after using it during sickness is advisable because otherwise, you could easily reinfect yourself.
Soap Bars
A common misconception is that sanitation products such as bars of soap can’t get dirty. Germs such as E. coli, Salmonella, and even Staphylococcus bacteria are commonly sitting on soap long after a bath, none of which are wise to be sharing with friends or family.
Personal Goals
This might surprise you, but it’s always best to keep your personal goals to yourself. A study by Peter Gollwitzer at New York University concluded that premature praise from goal-sharing makes you less motivated and less likely to complete your goals, so keep this secret until you’ve achieved it!
Sensitive Work Information
Anything private to your business or workplace, such as admin passwords, trade secrets, and even tax IDs, should never be shared with others. Keep this information stored safely somewhere for yourself, or your employer could actually take you to court if it’s found to have a privacy breach!
Earphones
It’s a gross reality of earphones that they build up earwax and moisture, and no one cleans them as regularly as they should. Therefore, sharing them risks contaminating your ears with fungi and bacterial infections from other people. Thanks, but no thanks!
Addresses
You shouldn’t share your address with anyone whom you are unsure whether you can trust–it’s really that simple. If you would be uncomfortable with them showing up unannounced, why on Earth would you tell them the location of your home?
Underwear
We might be stating the obvious, but it’s unhygienic to use another person’s underwear, given the dirt and bacteria that could be contracted through them. You might not be worried about sharing underwear with your partner or family, but c’mon—surely it’s not worth the risk.
Good Deeds
There’s a thin line between innocently sharing your acts of kindness and boasting to make yourself feel good. Good deeds should be selfless, so telling your friends about them may portray you as a self-serving giver who just wants attention. Use common sense here, and just make sure you’re not bragging.
Income
Finally, everyone knows it’s best to keep your finances to yourself. Brag about your income, and you could become a target for cybercriminals or even friends who want to take advantage of you. This is such a serious issue that CNBC estimates only one in five Americans share their financial information with their spouses.
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