5 Things Smart People Never Reveal at Work

The smarter you become, the lesser you speak.

This was an advice given by my mentor a few years ago. Although, it was a little confusing at the beginning but it started making sense when I gained some years of professional experience at work.

I understand that it can be tricky to talk to your colleagues who aren’t really your friends neither complete strangers. You can’t just say the first thing that comes to your mind when someone asks you for an opinion because anything you say can be easily misunderstood, manipulated, or taken in a wrong sense and who knows, might even be used against you.

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Here is a list of five things that smart people never ever reveal at work:

1. They hate their job

It is completely disrespectful on your part to tell your coworkers how much you dislike your current job. Firstly, it is completely unprofessional and secondly, people will start labeling you as a ‘complainer’ or ‘whiner’ and that’s not something to be proud of.

If you are finding it difficult to be liking what you’re doing at work, it’s time for some serious introspection. Each one of us goes through a similar phase but smart people never vocalize what is going on inside. Always remember there are replacements out there that might love the job that you hate.

2. How much money they take home every month

Always bear this in mind that money has the power to evoke emotions that were not there in the first place. It might be tempting to reveal the number of zeros in your paycheck and compare figures with your friends, trust me, the instant comparison will make things ‘different’ for both of you. So, the only person that should be knowing your salary at work should be your HR.

Whatever you do (or might not do) at work will be equated against the salary you’re raking in every month. Remember there’s a reason why you’re always advised to not disclose your salary to your peers because the moment you do it, things will never be the same.

3. They don’t talk about their religious and political beliefs

We live in a society where people are driven by beliefs and perceptions and whenever there is an argument that questions your beliefs, verbal and physical conflicts are bound to happen. Smart people are very well aware of it and don’t mind participating in a discussion regarding these controversial things.

Even at your workplace, there would be coworkers who might instigate you to voice your religious and political beliefs. Be mindful of them and try to deflect the situation as smartly as possible without giving away too much than required.

4. Their opinion about someone’s incompetence

Where there are hardworking and competent employees, there would also be employees who aren’t that competent and chances are that everyone knows who they are - including them. Giving your opinion on their credibility or quality of work won’t do any good to you or others.

Moreover, talking about someone’s ineptitude might be seen as an insecure attempt to make yourself look better - which is absolutely not cool. It’s good to be someone who lifts others and make them look good rather than be someone who is always berating and pulling others down.

5. They are looking for a switch or job-change

If you are planning to change your job, it’s better to not discuss the matter even with your close friends at the office until everything gets materialized. There is still a chance that you might not land the offer for whatever reasons or you did not like the company or aren’t happy with the negotiations.

If you announce that you’re going to leave the company, don’t be surprised if people start behaving differently or might even start ignoring you. If your hunt goes unsuccessful, things won’t be what they used to be. Whatever be the case, it’s best to wait until you’ve found a job before you announce it to the world.

What would you keep private at work?

I’m sure there would be a lot of things that we would like to keep it to ourself at work. If I’ve missed out on anything, let’s talk about them in the comments section. 

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Author Bio:

Vartika Kashyap is the Marketing Manager at ProofHub and has been one of the LinkedIn Top Voices in 2017. Her articles are inspired by office situations and work-related events. She likes to write about productivity, team building, work culture, leadership, entrepreneurship among others and contributing to a better workplace is what makes her click.