Sometimes I like to annoy non-Boomers by quoting song lyrics written by from singer/songwriter Carly Simon. Usually, the annoyance fades especially when I am sharing especially profound Carly Simon lyrics that transcend generations.
Certainly one of the most profound of all the many, many lyrics written by Carly Simon is “We Have No Secrets” from 1972. In this poignant poem set to an irresistible melody, she warns of the sweet perils of being too honest in life.
I think that members of the younger generations who post on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and whatever other social media channels today need to memorize the entire lyrics from “We Have No Secrets” and maybe even learn the entire song to sing it themselves quietly and softly while they spend so much time online.
The wisdom that seems to evade most who post on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc. (and not just members of younger geneartions) is that too much telling about yourself online can bring you troubles in the physical world we all live in. For example, a very hilarious commentary online, 5 Ways You Can Lose a Job on Facebook focuses only on Facebook and only on what you can post that will almost guarantee you lose your current employment.
But, telling too much about yourself online is not only an easy way to jeopardize your professional career and credibility. In general, you should aim for a healthy awareness about the risks of having no secrets online. I’m not advocating paranoia. Yet, I shall never forget a silly little rhyme that my late mother used to say to me in my childhood days: Fools names and fools faces always appear in public places.
Restraining yourself while you are posting commentaries about yourself and your life on social media channels is a sign that you have a keen mental health. It certainly may be fun to release your emotions online while revealing too much information about yourself. But, there is always a risk that someone you really don’t want to know what should be your secrets will happen to read what you posted.
So, I want you to go online today and buy Carly Simon’s “We Have No Secrets” so you can have that wonderfully wise song to guide you. While you are risking your credibility online as your fingers madly strike the keyboard, you need something to keep you from self-imposed danger.