We all have secrets. The average person has as many as 13 secrets at any given time.

Usually, we hold secrets to protect something, such as our reputation or someone we care about. But this doesn't always protect what we hope to protect.

Additionally, secrets can lead to loneliness and shame, which are particularly toxic to our health and wellbeing.

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About Michael Slepian:

Michael Slepian is the Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. Associate Professor of Leadership and Ethics at Columbia Business School. He previously was a visiting scholar at Stanford University, and received his Ph.D. From Tufts University. He is an elected fellow of the Society of Experimental Social Psychology, has received the Rising Star Award from the Association for Psychological Science, and received the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship

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