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Beware the False Confidant

Beware the false confidant who tries to pry loose information, with “Oh, come on, you can tell me.” If someone has to say that, you have no basis for trust.

People who pump you for information have the prime objective of passing it on.

Keep you secrets to yourself until you know you are dealing with a true confidant. They are rare birds indeed. If you share your deepest secrets with an unconfirmed confidant you could wind up seeding the grapevine at the same time. And past affairs or criticism of a manager could come back to entangle you when you are vying for a promotion against an arch nemesis who knows your secrets. In the Information Age, information is power. Be careful not to empower an enemy.