What do you think about people carrying secrets to their graves?

I think that there are some secrets where it really doesn’t matter. They don’t affect anyone else. But I think there are other secrets that people keep out of shame, and they carry them to the grave for that reason.

My concern is that there is some information that could be very helpful to others. Say something like someone is really adopted. Or that the deceased is really the mother instead of the sister. Or that they murdered so-and-so. Or even that they had several affairs while married or just that they had this involved relationship that changed them greatly when they were just out of college.

Some of this stuff might be important to a larger society, and some just to family members or friends. There could be any number of reasons it is important or that the deceased wanted to hide it. Yet they carry it to the grave, anyway.

What do you think? Should we try to make people feel safer in telling secrets before they die? Does it not really matter? Why?

Do you have any experiences along these lines to share?