Conversations with new acquaintances can be exciting, we know. But despite your openness, there are many things you’d love to share with them that still need to be kept private. We’ve compiled 19 of those things you’re better off keeping to yourself at this early stage.
Your Full Address
Firstly, to ensure your physical safety, you should never share where you live with strangers. Giving out your city is fine, but providing your full address only invites unwanted guests and burglars. What’s more, strangers can even use your full address to create fake identities for scams, as this story from the Guardian reveals.
Personal Phone Number
Leaning towards financial security this time, you shouldn’t hand out your phone numbers to people you don’t know. Scammers are so sophisticated today that they can use your numbers to receive messages, send messages, and make calls on your behalf, and they can also access many of your online accounts.
Social Security Number
Unless it’s at a job, with a loan company, or with a government agency, you don’t want to share your Social Security number (SSN) with even people close to you. Don’t even share your SSN with an “official” if you didn’t initiate the contact, either. This is because, with this number, anyone can have complete access to your financial accounts.
Your Birthdate
Birthdays can be exciting, but while sharing them might seem trivial, know that they’re often used for security verification. This means sharing it online or with just about anyone puts you at risk of identity theft or compromised accounts. To prevent this, share your birthdate sparingly, only in necessary situations like legal documents or medical records, ensuring it’s protected from misuse.
Financial Information
Talking about your finances, such as your salary, investments, or significant purchases, can attract the wrong kind of attention, including scammers or potential thieves. Financial prudence dictates that such information should remain confidential and shared only in professional settings or with trusted individuals to avoid any misuse or unwanted solicitations.
Relationship Troubles
When you share troubles in your personal relationships with others, you are emotionally exposed. Sadly, you put your relationship in danger through possible bad advice or manipulation from people who don’t have a stake in it. By keeping such matters private instead, you protect your emotional well-being and ensure that your relationships aren’t used for gossip among acquaintances.
Workplace Grievances
Voicing dissatisfaction about your job or colleagues can inadvertently damage your professional reputation, especially if word gets back to your workplace. Instead, you should discuss workplace issues with your work colleagues themselves or discreetly with trusted individuals who understand the context and can provide constructive feedback without risking your job security.
Your Passwords
Passwords are the keys to your digital life, and revealing them, even casually, can lead to unauthorized access to your accounts. Even having one compromised can give criminals hints to figure out your other passwords. Protect your online identity and personal data from cyber threats by simply keeping your passwords secret. Make them unpredictable, too.
Upcoming Travel Plans
Sharing details about when and where you’ll be traveling can make your home a prime target for thieves. So, to protect your property while away, it’s best to share travel plans only with those who need to know, like a trusted neighbor or family member who can keep an eye on your home.
Political Opinions
When you express political views, particularly if your opinions are strong, you can potentially alienate new acquaintances or spark confrontations with them. To keep interactions light and respectful, it’s advisable to gauge the other person’s comfort with political discussions before sharing your viewpoints.
Health Issues
You also shouldn’t discuss your health issues with anyone, as this can make you vulnerable to both pity and social stigma. So that you maintain your dignity and privacy, only share sensitive health information with those who have a genuine need to know, such as your family or healthcare provider.
Legal Matters
Also, just like health issues, legal issues are sensitive and can alter people’s perceptions of you. What’s more, discussing details of ongoing legal battles you have can compromise the cases and your privacy, too. This means it’s crucial to keep such matters confidential, sharing details only with your attorney or those directly involved.
Personal Beliefs
Your beliefs form the core of who you are, and sharing them indiscriminately can lead to debates or disrespect. Only engage in discussions about personal beliefs in supportive settings or with those who express a genuine interest in understanding your perspective. This helps you preserve harmony and respect everywhere you find yourself.
Family Issues
Family matters are inherently private and can become complicated if shared widely. So, to avoid external interference or judgments, it’s crucial that you discuss family matters only with family members themselves, within trusted circles, or with professional advisors who can offer impartial guidance without compromising your family’s privacy.
Daily Routine
Also, we all need to realize that telling strangers where we will be and at what time we’ll be there every day can expose us to stalking and, in the worst cases, targeted violent crimes. To maintain your personal security, keep the specifics of your routine ambiguous, sharing them only with close contacts who are part of your everyday life.
Email Address
Providing your primary email address can lead to anything from annoying spam to more dangerous phishing attacks. Our advice? To protect your digital mailbox, use a secondary, less important email for casual acquaintances and reserve your primary one for important personal and professional communications.
Previous Romantic Relationships
When you share details with strangers or mere acquaintances about past romantic entanglements, you may invite unwanted speculation and gossip. To ensure your romantic history remains dignified, discuss it in settings where you feel safe and respected, like with close friends or in counseling sessions.
Security Measures at Home
You only compromise your home’s security setup, providing criminals with a roadmap to bypass it, when you talk about its specifics with just about anyone. For optimal security, keep the details of your security measures vague, discussing them only with security professionals or when upgrading your systems.
Philanthropic Donations
Although supporting causes is commendable, disclosing your philanthropic endeavors can lead to unsolicited requests for donations. Some may even judge that you’re donating to show off and not to actually help the needy. To maintain your privacy and control over your charitable contributions, share your philanthropic activities only with like-minded individuals or within charitable organizations.
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