People Divulge The Secrets They Will Never Tell Their Significant Other
Couples are often advised to be wholly honest with their partners and that it's the bedrock of a healthy, successful relationship.
When asked, any partner would swear until they were blue that they've told their partner absolutely everything they could possibly tell them, ever, until the end of time.
But Redditor Bisexual_Space_Lover was ready to call partners out on that:
"What's a secret you'll never tell your partner but are willing to tell strangers on Reddit?"
Working Late Again
"I'm working three jobs to support him and his lifestyle and the kids. He thinks I’m working one."
"But he lost his entire family in the past three years and his grief is breaking him. So I don’t mind working this much if it means he can take a break and work on his mental health. I love him. I’d do anything for him."
- j32571p7
In Sickness and In Health
"Not me but my friend. His wife was really sick but was also extremely stubborn and religious. She believed that God will heal her, so he came to me and asked for a few of my sleeping pills."
"They're really strong and get you into a deep sleep quickly. So he put the pills in her drink, and like clockwork in 30 minutes, she was out cold, and he then asked me to help him get her to the hospital."
"The next morning she woke up in the hospital. We told her she passed out and wasn't breathing, so we rushed her there. And somehow she believed us."
"Good thing, too, because on top of that sickness she had, she had stage one cancer. She survived and it's all good now."
"But he made me swear I wouldn't tell her what we did."
- trojen342p
The Ultimate Sacrifice
"I actually prefer creamy peanut butter. I buy the extra crunchy because that's what he likes."
- Absinthe42
First-Time Parents
"I got our toddler out of bed one morning and went to do a sniff test of their butt to see if they had pooed overnight and when I lifted my child up, I stuck their head in the ceiling fan."
"Oh, and the time I forgot to put the car in Park with them in it."
- brotum248
A Little Levity
"Who wants to admit they ate nine cans of ravioli?"
- Jayce2K
Best Friends
"My best friend is a Badger and I feed him sweetcorn every morning at 5:20 AM."
- Chubby_Salmon3454
Couldn't Do This Without You
"I am terrified that my partner will die because I know I am not really a functional adult outside of my work. I am good for playing with the kids, bringing in a decent income, and making food, but the idea of single parenting and taking care of everything fills me with existential dread I have a hard time describing."
"Like, processing the grief while learning to function as a solo adult, and trying to keep everything running so it doesn’t impact my kids any more than losing a parent already would."
"The possibility of it is just overwhelming to contemplate and it wears on my brain at times."
- ProfessorWC
An Ode to Emotional Labor
"There is just no way I could run our household like my wife does. I honestly have no clue how she keeps it all straight and remembers everything."
"If she were to leave for like a week, we would be fine. But there are a million little things that wouldn't be done because half I don't even know she does and the other half I wouldn't remember without a list."
"Which is a terrible thing to say. I know my wife is running 110% every day."
"I try to help out around the house but I don't remember what to do on what days. Asking her to make me a list is just asking her to remember one more thing. She shouldn't have to make a list. I don't know, dadding is tough when mom is a freaky amazing superhuman."
"But I do tell her all the time. We have talked about it at length. The brain drain on her keeping the families calendar in her head must be incredible."
- goblue142
Bored in the House
"I hate that he doesn't want to go anywhere, ever."
"Everything is always a chore or he dreads it."
"I want to go on hikes, random car rides, or a d**n picnic. Just get out of the house with him, just him. I want to go on dates, I'm growing very tired of this lifestyle."
"It could very well be depression, money management, or health reasons. I know I need to have a serious talk with him. Besides that, we will have to look into him finding a therapist and hopefully, he will become social again. I know there are a lot of factors to his introversion, but this is still hard."
- worthlesswreck
That Thing with the Stuff
"That I know the word she’s looking for, but it’s more fun to hear her rattle off increasingly ridiculous, sometimes made-up words instead."
- FunWithAPorpoise
A Lifesaver
"He legit saved my life. He’s a nervous, humble guy who doesn’t like undue pressure or praise, so I keep it to myself just how bad off I was before he showed up."
"Because even in the aftermath of my mom’s death and even in the face of some pretty nasty health problems (which I was just letting slide because I was so depressed I was kind of hoping they’d kill me), I was very, VERY good at smiling and being charming."
"Three years of taking care of a terminally ill parent taught me how to smile and bear it and feint positivity even when you’re running on empty."
"And I never felt like I could be anything other than The Fixer. The Doer. The Person Who Always Knows What To Say. The Reliable One. They Who Has Every Answer and Can Make Bad Feelings Go Away By Just Fixing the Problem For You."
"I was not allowed to be negative. Ever."
"But he… legit came in and helped me with mom’s estate and cheerleaded me into getting out of a dead-end career and put a stake in the heart of some severely toxic relationships I had and even helped me budget so I could 'finally afford' health insurance… which wasn’t a moment too soon, because I caught s**t right in the nick of time."
"And he just kind of… did it. In his mind, it was nothing much because 'you were on the right track, but you had a lot on your plate and needed help.'"
"And I just nod and agree because what else do I say? 'I actually wasn’t. I was just going to let myself die because I was exhausted and miserable, smiles aside. Thanks for intervening.'"
- Ilunibi
Center of Attention
"My husband complains about being in pain so much that I feel like there’s no room for me to be in pain. And sometimes I really resent that. I have a chronic health condition that I have no choice but to manage well because he wouldn’t know what to do if he had to care for me like I have to care for him."
"Sucks but it is what it is."
"My partner is otherwise lovely and I’ve told him before, no need to beat a dead horse. To me, it’s a small part of a big and full relationship, so it’s just something I live with."
- Lilliputian0513
Newborn Oops
"I dropped the diaper rash cream container on our daughter’s head when she was like eight days old. She let out this scream that still haunts me."
"When he came in the room to see what happened, I lied and said I just dropped the lid on her."
- buzzarfly2236
Take It to the Grave
"My wife's makeup looked terrible on our wedding day."
- Yoguifungi
Bittersweet Endings
"A former boyfriend of mine had a cat that he didn't treat very well. He never abused the cat, he just had depression and would get frustrated at the cat easily and not play with it enough."
"One time the cat knocked down his favorite plant and broke the pot, spilling soil everywhere."
"I took the blame, and dealt with him being a little b***hy with me, just to make sure he didn't get further upset at the cat."
"I never told him. And the cat got rehomed, under his mature decision, and is doing very well."
- somethingofagem
While it's a common understanding that couples should not keep information from one another, these Redditors came to prove that sometimes, that isn't true.
Rather, some things are too embarrassing or heavy, for them or their partner, to put out there. Maybe on some level, it's better for their relationship.
Marriage isn't easy. Even if it isn't your thing, these simple rules, such as respect, communication, and honesty, can be applied to many types of relationships.
NemoBalimo asked married couples of Reddit: What are the unspoken rules of a successful marriage?
Submissions have been edited for clarity, context, and profanity.