Just be honest, they say. Tell the truth, they say. While you’re typically praised for being honest, there are definitely times when just coming out with the truth ends up getting you into trouble. Sometimes, you wish you could just tell a little white lie or at least stretch the truth a little. Even though you were raised on the premise that honesty is the best policy, there’s more than one occasion when being honest is probably something you’ll regret down the line, even just a little bit.
- When you reveal feelings for someone that aren’t reciprocated. There’s nothing more embarrassing than pouring your heart out to someone who doesn’t feel the same way. Sure, it’s good that you get it off your chest and put yourself out there, but there’s no denying that you are going to wish you hadn’t said anything to save yourself from the awkward that follows.
- When you admit the real reason you left your job in an interview. Hated your boss? Office romance gone bad? Disagreed with the way they did business? Whatever the reason, it may not be the best thing to admit during a job interview. Sometimes the generic “looking for new opportunities and growth” is a better idea.
- When you give your real number to that douche at the bar. A couple drinks and you’ll give out your number to any Joe Blow who asks for it. When you’re getting texts from men you’re positive you weren’t interested in, you’re going to wish you dished out a fake number instead.
- When you tell someone you’re not attracted to them. You’ve been there at least once — you meet a great guy, you get along well, but you just aren’t attracted to him physically. Sometimes, this can be the difference between someone you want to date and someone that’s going to stay in the friend zone. But when they ask why you won’t take the relationship to the next level, it’s probably not the best idea to be honest about your lack of physical attraction. There are many other answers you can give that won’t blow a hole in the guy’s self-esteem. Stick to the “I see you more as a friend”. Just because you’re not attracted to him doesn’t mean you want to hurt him.
- When you explain to someone what you’re looking for in a relationship way too early. Most of us are dating in hopes that it will lead to something more. In a perfect world, we’d love to tell the guy we’re interested in right off the bat that we’re looking for a relationship. Unfortunately, some guys interpret this as us coming on too strong or looking to get married by date three. Maybe it’s the way we say it, but we’ve scared off more than one guy by being too honest too early.
- When you tell your boyfriend how you really feel about his mother. This never ends well. It’s okay not to like your boyfriend’s mom. In fact, it’s common. But for the sake of the relationship, you should probably keep that to yourself. The last thing you want to do is make him feel like he needs to choose between two of the most important women in his life. And if his mom gets wind of your true feelings, that’s a whole other can of worms you don’t want to open.
- When you tell your bestie how you feel about her other friends. It’s normal to be territorial over your best friend, and even to get a little jealous when she starts hanging out with a new group. Maybe you feel threatened by them, or perhaps you’re afraid she won’t need you anymore now that she has other friends. But that’s likely not the case. There’s nothing wrong with having multiple groups of friends — and if you don’t like her new friends, she’s not going to want to hear that. Unless her new friends are a serious threat to her well-being, it’s best to keep that opinion to yourself.
- When you admit to your boss what’s really bugging you at work. It may have started with you just bringing up a small issue in your boss’s office, and suddenly, you’ve spent the last two hours venting about everything that’s wrong with the company, management, and your job in general. While getting all of that off your chest is going to feel great, the panic you feel when you realized you may have gone a little far may not make for a good night’s sleep.
- When you admit to the douchebag that he hurt you. We all make ourselves vulnerable when we put ourselves out there. Everyone has been hurt, and that’s okay. But the second you let that jerk know what kind of power he had over you, you’re going to regret it. The last thing you want to do is feed his ego. That d-bag doesn’t deserve your tears, but sometimes you can’t help crying over him. Though who says you need to tell him?
- When you confess to the guy you’re dating that you creeped him. Okay, so maybe you already know his entire life story as told by Facebook, but the second you start dropping details about his personal life that he’s sure he never told you, he’s going to get worried — especially if you aren’t even Facebook friends yet. “I love when you stalk me online!” said no one ever.
- When you tell the guy you’re dating that you creeped his ex. We’ve all been there. We’re curious about the girl that tied him down for 5 years. Is she prettier than me? What was their relationship like? Of course we want to know. And, heck, we may even do some digging to find out. But that’s probably not something you should share with the guy you’re dating. It’s likely not something he wants to know. If you don’t want the crazy/obsessive/jealous label, you should probably keep that to yourself. Or better yet, not creep his ex girlfriend at all.
- When you admit to your boyfriend that you still think about your ex. It happens from time to time- your ex finds his way into your thoughts, whether it’s in one of your dreams or just a random thought during the day. It could have been a good memory, a bad one, or just a curious ‘I wonder if he thinks about me’. Your ex was likely a big part of your life at some point, so it’s only natural that you may think about him sometimes. But it’s also natural for that to bother your new boyfriend. While you should be able to tell your boyfriend almost anything, it’s okay not to be completely honest about everything (like the time your ex slipped into your head on a rainy day).
