25 Harmless Secrets People Felt The Need To Hide

Though secrets and lies automatically imply a negative connotation, some secrets aren’t really all that bad. These harmless little fibs can make life better for others in ways the truth could not. Today we take a wholesome journey through a Reddit post where people shared harmless lies they told without any ill intent. Some lies were intended to give peace of mind, while others allowed people to accept help without feeling obliged. Scroll below to read the unexpectedly sweet answers people gave in response to the question, “What’s a ridiculous secret you’ve been keeping?”

#1

Image source: Scoth42, Pablo Merchán Montes

I used to hang out at a friend’s house pretty regularly for parties. His downstairs bathroom’s switches for the light and fan were opposite mine and it annoyed me to no end, especially after he fed me a few shots. One party I brought a screwdriver and after a couple drinks locked myself in the bathroom and swapped the switches in the double gang box. For the next several years it was glorious since it matched mine, and neither he nor his partner ever said anything or seemed to notice.

#2

Image source: Samisoy001, Drazen Nesic

In 2009 my best friend was struggling to pay rent when his TV broke. So I went and bought him an at the time 42 inch HDTV for over $1,000. I knew he would never accept me spending that much as a gift.

So I took it out of the box and put a few small scratches on the back of it and told him I bought a new TV and that he could have my old one that I didn’t use anymore.

Well, he’s doing way better now financially, but he has no idea I did that and I will never tell him.

#3

Image source: anon, Maksim Goncharenok

First marriage to my late wife, on the day of the wedding, the ring got stolen out of my car. I was freaking out. My two best men went into overdrive and took a picture I had if the ring and went to I don’t know how many jewelry stores explaining what had happened and if they had a ring that was similar.

They went to this really great jewelry maker so said, “I have something that is really close, give me a bit and I can make it perfect.”

He worked his a*s off and got it done with about an hour to spare, plus the managed to get my window fixed.

The three of us are the only ones who know. I ended up using that jewelry maker for any jewelry I needed and well I haven’t stopped yet.

He ended up telling my best men to not worry about the price and for me to come down after the honeymoon to work it out. I did and he gave it to me at the cost of the materials. He is a great guy. He retired during COVID.

#4

Image source: griddles96, Andrea Piacquadio

As a previous nanny, I’ve seen many first steps and heard many first words, but I never share that. When I leave I say something like, I think little one is soooo close to walking/talking! It’s a special moment parents deserve, who am I to take that from them? One baby was walking with me for a full 2 weeks before he showed his new trick to his parents.

#5

Image source: minimegs2023, Tom Caillarec

When my brother was 4 he won a stuffed animal from a claw machine and it was his favourite thing ever, slept with it every night for weeks he fell asleep on the couch and was carried to bed but left his stuffed animal on the floor and the dog decided to tear it to pieces during the night. I spent $40 trying to win another one and put it under his bed for him to find.

#6

Image source: 04Z51Vette, Aleksandr Neplokhov

In 1998 I had a friend who was stuck in a very toxic situation at her home. She had an opportunity for a new start across country in Oregon. She had a Dodge Neon that was hanging on for dear life and decided to pass on the opportunity for fear the car wouldn’t make the trip. I told her I had a friend that was a mechanic that owed me a favor and he would give the car a tune up for free. I didn’t really have a friend that was a mechanic. We were both 18 with not much money but I used all of my savings to pay to have her car made road worthy for the trip. She’s a mother of 4 now with a great job and thriving in Oregon.

#7

Image source: anon, Oğuz Kandemir

My son was really into digging holes when he was 6. Had a 3ft deep one going in the yard because he was convinced he was on top of some old ruins. Kept bringing small old things into the house that he was so excited he discovered, and displayed them in his room after cleaning them.

To this day, he doesn’t know I’d been going to the flea market every Saturday and buying small bits of old looking junk and planting them in the hole for him to find.

#8

Image source: CODMAN627, Marta Klement

I helped a friend out with ad money on her blog and views and YouTube stuff I would regularly click on ads on different devices so she could get the money from them I also used multiple devices and accounts to help her get a boost on her blog and her YouTube channel. I would write in different ways and say different things to make sure they all didn’t sound too Similar. Also being bilingual helps so I was able to write in English and Spanish

She’s gotten a big enough following she doesn’t need it anymore but to this day she doesn’t know it was me who left all of those encouraging comments and likes and reposts and thing of that nature.

#9

Image source: spellbunny, cottonbro studio

I’ve been lonely, and every night I fall asleep hugging a stuffed animal. I am 41.

The secret is that I have many stuffed animals and each week I pick a new one to sleep with because I don’t want any of them to feel sad or left out.

#10

Image source: anon, Yuliya kota

When I was about 16 or 17 I wanted a cat so badly, and my mum had consistently being saying nope all my life.

So I went in the classifieds at the back of the newspaper, found someone giving away free kittens, and I went and got one.

When my mum came home that day, I told her that I met a man down by the docks with a cardboard box full of kittens, and he was going to throw it in the water if he couldn’t get rid of them. So I took one.

She did try to give her away a few times to various friends, but nobody wanted a kitten, and she got attached to her. To the point that she wouldn’t let me take her with me when I moved out for university.

She loves telling that story of how we ended up with a cat that I wasn’t supposed to get, and that sweet baby lived to be almost 20 in the end. She brought home many mice and birds, and once, a weasel.

I named her Turnip, after Baldrick’s turnip in Blackadder.

RIP Turnip. You lived a lie, but you were loved, and your fake origin story continues to delight at the dinner table!

#11

Image source: ChickWhoReddits, RDNE Stock project

My daughter lost her favorite stuffed animal and was devastated. I went online and found a replacement on eBay for an insane price because it turns out her stuffed puppy was a collector’s edition (fml) and the one I found was in mint condition.

I then rubbed it in dirt, washed it a few times, and ripped off its leather on its nose and filled it in with black permanent marker, all so it matched the one she had. We then told her that her puppy had been found and the joy on her face made the expense and time it took crafting it well worth it.

She is thirteen now and still keeps her puppy on her bed. I plan to take this to my grave.

#12

Image source: Workingclassjerk, apson_magar

When I was about 6 yrs old I had a pet turtle and his tank sat on top of my dresser and the only way for me to reach the top of the tank was the climb on top of the windows sill so I could lift the top.

My mother told me if I ever fell from there I wouldn’t be allowed to feed my turtle by myself.

So one day I fell …bad …top of my head hit the corner of the bed frame and squirted blood…I ran to my mother not in pain but in shock from the amount of blood…she screamed in horror…ambulance came and went to the hospital. My mother and the Doctor asked me how it happened. I really didn’t want to lose the privilege of feeding my turtle so I made up a lie on the spot

“I was jumping and flipping on my bed and landed head first on the radiator”

I’m 39 now and til this day that’s the story my whole family believes “remember when you flipped on your bed and landed on the radiator and had to get stitches.”.

#13

Image source: Plastic_Cranberry711, Edmond Dantès

My wife lost one of her favorite pair of gold earrings her parents gave her. She could not find the other after weeks of trying.

It had sentimental value as it was a 16th bday gift, so I knew she’d never want another set.

So I took the one she had around our big city to jewelers and shops until I found a matching one. Eventually found one, bought the pair. Dirtied it up at home and let her “find it” in her sock drawer.

Still have the other hidden in my desk in case she loses the other.

#14

Image source: lizlemonista, Samson Katt

Telling strangers “oh my gosh, my dog loves you!!” my dog loves everyone but it doesn’t make the statement untrue.

#15

Image source: Remarkable_Story9843, Liza Summer

I convinced my sister I had entered us both in a blog giveaway, I won a coupon but she won the grand prize , a $300 gift card to Lane Bryant. My sister was a size 16, and desperately needed new clothes but would spend money on her baby grandkids and thin adult daughters. This was the only way I could make sure she spent it on herself. It’s been 10 years. She’s doesn’t know.

#16

Image source: MeasurementFull3328, Curated Lifestyle

My family and I leave plastic ducks all over the city, or my children ask people that appear to be having a bad day if they would like a duck, nine times out of ten they take the duck and walk away with a smile, the other times they usually get confused and just walk away.

Actually because of this, my kids collet little rubber duckies and give them to me so I can add them to my ever growing and heavily fortified foul military members. 😆.

#17

Image source: landob, Ron Lach

When I was dating my now wife, her son took my car for a joyride while we were out of town.

When we got back from our out of town trip I noticed something was amiss on my car. When I got in it, I noticed the sunshade was installed backwards, I would never do that on accident.

I then pulled the dashcam footage. He took it around the neighborhood. He didn’t do any donuts, or burn any tires. Just a nice slow stroll through the neighborhood with the music playing and I assume waved and some people.

I ended up just handling it man to man. he was like 17-18 at the time. I never told his mom about it.

#18

Image source: PuckDropPanic, Erik Mclean

I don’t like Pokemon. It was my brother’s special interest growing up, and I saw so much of it that I started to hate it. My partner adores Pokemon. So of course, I’m gonna let them rant, I’m gonna let them put on all the competitive vids, I’m gonna let them deck my room in pokemon collectors stuff, I’m gonna let them do pretty much whatever they want that’s Pokemon related, because I’m not about to dull their sparkle over that.

#19

Image source: rumblemumbles, Polina Tankilevitch

My mum is a health nut (with probably disordered eating) who wouldn’t let us have cheese in the house when I was kid. When I was mid 20s, I bought a unit and my dad was helping me fix stuff up so I provided lunch. I said to him – bet you’re going to hate going back to work next week and not have any cheese on your sandwiches. It was then he told me his deepest secret, he had been buying blocks of cheese at work for years. I had no idea he was crafty. And my mum still doesn’t. Poor dad has been retired for years though so not sure on the current cheese consumption status.

#20

Image source: anon, cottonbro studio

Dad, I lied that day in kindergarten when I said I had a tummy ache and needed to go home.

I was totally fine, I was just super bored and wanted to spend time with you.

#21

Image source: CriscoCamping, Nikita Nikitin

My daughter worked at a gourmet store in high schook, she would make all sorts of fancy things at home, I am picky and boring but try not to let it be an issue.

Two things I really dislike are the smell of jasmine and taste of lime. Don’t know why, just do.

Daughter made jasmine lime rice. It was like eating an air freshener, I concentrated and got it down. Cleaned my plate, because thats what you do.

Much later in life, my ex wife her mom told her how much I hated those two things , and daughter remembered that meal and called me to tell me I should have told her. I said, no, that’s not the right thing.

#22

Image source: TernoftheShrew, cottonbro studio

I tell my partner that we’re all out of his favourite snacks, so when he’s having a rough moment, I can pull one of them out from where I’ve hidden them and announce with great delight that I had just found it.

#23

Image source: Rescuepoet, Misha Zimin

I once told a girl I was dating I loved the dish she cooked for me. In reality, it was terrible. 25 years later, my wife is still cooking it at least once a month because it’s my “favorite.” I’ve never been able to tell her, but now I’ve let my 8 year old daughter in on it. She’ll prance up to my wife and say “Let’s cook Daddy’s favorite tonight!” Then she turns around and looks me dead in the eye with a s**t-eating grin on her face.

#24

Image source: August-thecow, Andrey Yudkin

One day I came home late at night drunk and decided to walk my dog. Just when we arrived outside my house my dog attacked a racoon hanging around the area. I ended up wrestling my malamute and freed the racoon from his jaws.

Here’s the thing. I was drunk and the racoon kinda just stared at me infront of me and I decided to try and pet the racoon. I got maybe one pet in before it took a chunk out of my finger. I ran into the house leaving a trail of blood up to my brothers room for help. A sleepless night in the hospital and 4 consecutive rabies shots later was the result.

Everyone asked me what happened and I just told them while I heroically wrestled my dog to save the racoon I got bit in the process. They still don’t know the real story. It still gets brought up 10 years year.

#25

Image source: inthewoods54, Pavel Danilyuk

My father has Alzheimer’s and I’ve been secretly “stealing” sentimental items (family photos, things I made for him as a child, etc) from his house here and there because I know his wife will throw it all out once he’s gone.