There’s a fine line between maintaining your privacy and being pushed to a point where you feel you have no choice but to share deeply personal things. We’re told time and again that we don’t owe anyone our private stories—be it a medical condition, a death, or anything else that doesn’t fall under “work talk.” Yet, sometimes, people can press and press until you feel cornered, and suddenly, you’re sharing something you never planned to.

I’ve had moments where I tried to quietly step away from a meeting or call. Maybe it was a health issue I didn’t want to discuss, or perhaps I was grappling with a personal loss. And then come the snide remarks—people assuming I was shirking duties or being unreliable. In those instances, the only way to get them off my back was to tell them the very thing I wanted to keep private.

That moment of revelation often makes things awkward. They feel bad for pushing, for not knowing, and suddenly the room feels thick with discomfort. But was I supposed to let them keep thinking I was irresponsible? Probably not. Yet, it still feels like a violation of sorts—a forced openness that leaves a bitter taste.

So, where’s the balance? How do we protect our private lives while ensuring others don’t mistake silence for neglect? The truth is, there’s no perfect answer. Sometimes, despite your best intentions, you have to be indelicate. And in those moments, it’s less about what you say and more about how you carry yourself afterward. I’ve learned to accept the discomfort as part of life’s messy human interactions. And if nothing else, it serves as a reminder that everyone’s fighting their own battles, often unseen.