Sunday, June 23, 2013

Confession, a Double-edged Sword?

A confession is defined as an admission to incidents in the past, which one does not normally reveal to anyone.  Confessions are also made to priests who sit in the confessionals and listen, after which they would mete out penance proportionate to the “sin”.

Confessing to something which has been on your conscience can make you feel better but it will burden the one to whom you have confessed. There could be repercussions, especially if the confession is one of adultery or cheating on your partner. Remaining quiet in such circumstances will be “Ignorance is bliss” for the other party. However it could be heavier and heavier for you to bear as time goes by if you are the type that can neither forget nor delete the incident from your memory bank.

One way to relieve your burden is to confess it on paper, writing about everything that had taken place and then burning the confession immediately.

However, there is a trend now to confess online at sites that have been set up for this purpose.  There are websites where you can post anonymously and shed the weight of your misdeeds or unhappy  experiences.  These sites are aligned to educational institutions but not officially recognized as being part of them.  Postings are made by high school and college students of both genders and these postings are moderated by anonymous moderators . The contents posted are of different kinds, ranging from confessions of the love-lorn to relationship problems.

I don’t believe that these postings are made to attract attention as they are anonymous but they will have a cathartic effect for the confessors. Or could it just be a fad?

There are magazines dedicated to true confessions made by women of their trysts and escapades inside and outside the bedroom.  There must be a considerable readership or they wouldn’t survive.  I guess it’s a form of escapism. Or voyeurism if you get addicted to reading such stuff?

Nevertheless, be wary of face to face confessions for it may have serious consequences that could not have been anticipated. How many weddings have been called off because of an ill-advised confession or how many marriages have disintegrated as a result?
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