The Culture of Secrecy

 

When I first started uni, I expected the biggest challenges to be keeping up with assignments, adjusting to campus life, and figuring out how to survive on instant noodles. What I didn’t expect was how often the idea of “secrecy” would come up in my lectures—especially in sociology and media units. The more I studied it, the more I realised how deeply a culture of secrecy shapes the way institutions, governments, and even everyday people communicate.

One of the first topics we explored was how secrecy creates power. I remember sitting in a crowded lecture hall, listening to my professor explain that withholding information can be just as influential as sharing it. Whether it’s a government hiding data, a corporation keeping harmful practices out of the public eye, or even students quietly competing in group projects, secrecy is a tool used to shape behaviour. Suddenly, I started recognising it everywhere on campus—how certain conversations only happened behind closed doors, how decisions were made without transparency, and how people protected their own image by choosing what to reveal.

My own experience at uni made this even clearer. Group assignments taught me quickly that people often keep information close to maintain control over the outcome. In student societies, I saw how committees sometimes held private discussions to manage drama or avoid backlash. Even in everyday friendships, there were unspoken rules about what was shared and what stayed hidden. It wasn’t always malicious, but it showed me how normal secrecy becomes when everyone accepts it as part of the culture.

Studying this topic didn’t just make me more aware—it made me more intentional. I’ve learned that transparency builds trust, and the more open I am in my studies and relationships, the better everything flows.