Too Much Information
How much information is too much information? I have struggled with this quesiton for a couple of years. How much is too much when sharing information about myself on the Internet?
One of the blogs I watch in my RSS reader touched on this subject a few weeks ago. Below is an excerpt from “Privacy of the priesthood”: Keeping our sins to ourselves by The Evening with Kent.
“Secrets are chains, and Jesus has come to set us free.
Anyway, once I realized this, the chains came off. As you may have noticed from the blog, I’ve got nothing to hide. (Well, other than B’s identity, which is none of your business anyway.) I’ll tell people anything if they just ask… and sometimes even when they don’t. I’ve been advised many times, “Don’t tell people that! They’ll just use it against you.” Well, they’ve tried… and failed, ’cause I admit to it, and confess it to everyone long before they can. Or they’ll say, “If you tell people too much, it’ll weird them out, and they’ll never look at you the same.” That’s partly true… but how were they going to look at me before? Unrealistically? To hell with that.”
I like Kent’s blog for a number of reasons, but mainly because of what he says in this paragraph. He represents himself honestly and then has nothing to hide.
I have a similar attitude towards sharing information. I feel like people get a little weirded out around me when I share some things about myself or my past, but I have to ask the same question that Kent asks. Do they have an unrealistic view of me if I am not transparent?
So what is my conclusion? There is no such thing as too much information when you are trying to gain someone’s trust. The timing of when you expose a person to some bits and pieces of your past might need to be considered, but there is no danger in honestly and confession of your sins to your fellow man.
A little history how I ran across The Evening with Kent. I found Kent’s blog when searching for blogs on Smith Wigglesworth. I am a huge fan of the Smith Wigglesworth Devotional. Kent runs a separate blog called the Smith Wigglesworth Blog. Those who believe that God is still performing miracles today through the power of the Holy Spirit will love this devotional and the Wigglesworth blog.