# Political Compass #28: It's natural for children to keep secrets.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-compass-28-its-natural-for-children-to-keep-secrets/251617>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [June 22, 2004, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-compass-28-its-natural-for-children-to-keep-secrets/251617 "2004-06-22T13:15:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\
**Post date:** [June 23, 2004, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-compass-28-its-natural-for-children-to-keep-secrets/251617/21 "2004-06-23T08:04:50Z")

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Economic Left/Right: -5.88  
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.77

Agree.

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**Author:** ![GSV\_Consolation\_of\_Dreams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f1d935/32.png) [@GSV\_Consolation\_of\_Dreams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GSV_Consolation_of_Dreams)\
**Post date:** [June 23, 2004, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-compass-28-its-natural-for-children-to-keep-secrets/251617/22 "2004-06-23T12:49:08Z")

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> [@JRDelirious](#):
>
> Oh, and while we’re at it, y’know what the English language needs? A word that identifies the “people begat by a given set of parents” that is not the same word as that for “very young humans who must be under adult care at all times”. Because a kindergartener is not the same thing as someone in her freshman year of college, even if they’re both legally minors and dependents.

I think it does have one: offspring.

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**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\
**Post date:** [June 23, 2004, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/political-compass-28-its-natural-for-children-to-keep-secrets/251617/23 "2004-06-23T17:14:26Z")

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> [@lee](#):
>
> From my experience, children must be taught to be honest, not so much to deceive. Hiding and deceiving are survival traits, so why would they be unnatural?

Well, yeah, but you can say the same thing about honesty and cooperation, so that’s a no-go. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with keeping secrets, but I think it is less of a “natural” behavior than a rational response. Like I said, I think I’m just quibbling on the “natural” term more than necessary.

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