Public, Private, Secret: The Hidden Architecture of Friendship
What if friendship isn’t about being fully open with everyone—but about knowing what belongs where?
In this week’s episode of Our Friendly World, Fawn and Matt explore the idea that we each live three lives:
the public, the private, and the secret.
Together, they unpack:
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What we show the world versus what we reserve for close relationships
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Why boundaries aren’t walls—but sanctuaries
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How oversharing can blur lines and complicate friendships
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Why emotional honesty is often welcomed… but only the positive kind
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How age, experience, and discernment change the way we make friends
With humor, vulnerability, and real-life examples (including politeness-as-protection and secret chocolate stashes), this conversation gently reframes boundaries not as cold or calculating—but as essential for emotional health, creativity, and trust.
Whether you’ve ever felt misunderstood, “too much,” or unsure of how much of yourself to share, this episode invites you to rethink access, safety, and connection—and to honor the sacred space where growth begins.
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Public vs private vs secret selves
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Boundaries as emotional safety
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Why work culture only welcomes “positive” emotions
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Friendship discernment as we grow
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Vulnerability without self-betrayal
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Protecting ideas, creativity, and inner life
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Aristotle’s three types of friendship (Nichomachean Ethics)
public vs private life
friendship boundaries
emotional boundaries
oversharing in relationships
authenticity and boundaries
healthy friendships
emotional safety
self disclosure
personal boundaries
types of friendship
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We are not meant to be fully visible to everyone.
Some parts of us belong to the world.
Some belong to the people we trust.
And some need quiet—
a sacred space to grow before they are spoken.
This week on Our Friendly World,
we explore the public, the private, and the secret—
and why honoring each layer
might be the key to healthier friendships,
stronger boundaries,
and a more whole self.
Listen with an open heart.
“Boundaries aren’t walls. They’re sanctuaries.”
“As we get older, we don’t make fewer friends—we make more discerning ones.”
“There’s nothing wrong with having a public face, a private circle, and a sacred inner space.”
