Ramblings: Lies and Secrets

So here's a little thing to ponder on. We are always led to believe that to tell a lie is bad. And truly, from my childhood, even to now, I feel uncomfortable telling a lie. Sometimes, rather often actually, to the point that I hesitate, deciding whether the lie would really be worth it, then go and tell the truth, by which time the gap in my sentence makes anything I say look like a lie anyway. I don't like lying, and I think many others would likely be in the same position. Lying is inherently seen as bad.
On the other hand, we have good things. Secrets between two people. Generally seen as a bond between two close people, and, more often than not, a good thing.

But the question is; what is the difference between lying and keeping a secret?

Indeed, keeping a secret can often involve lying to someone else. If lying is inherently bad, and keeping secrets inherently good, then where does that moral line stand? And what about white lies and secrets which cause more harm than good. I'm talking blackmailing and such. How do we decide what is good and what is bad, and how can we ever agree? Because everyone from a different standpoint has a different view. If a person keeps a secret, it may seem good to the two people who share that secret, but bad to the one who discovers they're being left out, and might breed distrust - why? Because they likely feel they're being lied to. So we're back to the bad again.
But what about white lies? Telling little lies to make people feel better. But, then, they are still lies. The other person is still likely to be annoyed to find out it was a lie, and it could backfire as easily as any other lie.

Ugh. I should really stay away from philosophical questions. I don't like not getting anywhere.

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