Do you drown a budding flower with water as it is in it's most vulnerable stage? No? Well, you shouldn't drown a potential 'The One' with too much information from the start of your relationship either.

Truth is great, honesty is a virtue, but opening the floodgates of your soul is taking things just that much further into the world of Creepy.

Take notes, all you who wear your heart (and soul) on your sleeves - your idealistic views on being open, direct and honest from the get-go could have you dwelling in Single-ville for a long, long time.

While we usually live by the hard and unbending rule that all relationships must be totally honest from the beginning (or risk cropping up secrets to a pile tall enough to bury you), there is that line between 'too much', and 'enough for now'.

Because in every growing relationship, there are secrets which can wait until the relationship blooms into a rose, and secrets which could destroy even the most resilient of sprouting buds. It's not about concealing who you are; it's sharing who you are in small, manageable doses.

Can I Tell You A Secret?

The key is to know which ones are the secrets that can wait until the right 'big reveal': So, here are three things you should NOT reveal too soon!

#1: That you have an embarrassing drawback

It's okay to have a disease/disorder that impacts your life in a big way, but is perfectly curable and not debilitating. Eventually you'll have to tell, but if it does not significantly impact your potential relationship (unlike a fatal disease), hold your horses. It can all come later.

Jenny TW, 18, once had a date with a guy who had a weak bladder problem. One of the first things out of his mouth was 'I have a very weak bladder so I will be going to pee all the time. Sorry." Needless to say, she never dated him for the second time. All through the date, all she could think about was his bladder problem, although it did not affect their date all that much. She admitted later she wouldn't even have noticed it if he hadn't told her about it.

"I mean, I would have probably noticed it after some time, but it would have been something I would dismiss to maybe nervousness, or too much coffee or whatever!" she said. "Completely overwhelming... not in a good way."

Personal health things are not great for initial meetings. Telling someone you've only known briefly your entire medical history is going to overwhelm him/her, so withhold this little important (albeit harmless and embarrassing) fact about you until he/she ventures to ask.

#2: Your Family Fortunes

Do not tell her your father makes piles of moolah on the first date. Or on the second. Or on the third. Heck, don't mention it. Why? Because: So what if you're loaded? Don't you want to be loved for your charm, instead of your cash? The size of your wallet is not directly beneficial to the quality of your relationship, so why bother to impress her by saying how much your family makes?

#3: Your Previous Relationships... in EVERY Detail

No no no no no. Again. NO. Do not tell someone you've just met about the number of relationships you've had, or the girls you've dated, or the boys who've lusted after you... These are fish that will not smell worse from being kept. However, over time, if he/she asks, take it as a maturing and opening up of the relationship. Other than that - zip it, baby.

#4: A Family Affair

My dad's an alcoholic, my grandfather had six wives, and my mother had an affair... Shut up! Now! No matter what your family background is, this is not something you should reveal until the relationship truly deepens and is established. These are secrets of your family that do not have any drastic impact on the current state of your courtship and need not be revealed until the right time. Never fabricate lies about the state of your family affairs, but don't go announcing them publicly either. Ease him/her into details about yourself, bit by bit and when the time is right.

But What About Trust and Honesty?

Truth and honesty are admirable virtues but not when it is used to (a) get on someone's good side by being 'vulnerable' and 'trusting' or (b) to prove that you are an open and upfront person. Concealing certain harmless (to the other person), personal details about yourself is not lying. Lying is when you deliberately mislead someone into thinking you are someone else.

Frankly, your innermost secrets or thoughts should be almost sacred to you. Just because you confess or reveal some personal part of you does not mean he/she will like you for being 'truthful'. There are other ways and other topics to show your personality and your honesty in a relationship.

In the end, decide which details about you will significantly alter his/her perception towards you, and especially during the initial stages of a relationship. For example, know that there are different levels of relationships: Your best friend may laugh about your Athelete's Foot (because you two are close, and this little detail won't impact your relationship in any way), but a girl you've just met won't react so well.

Once you've made that distinction, keep certain things to yourself so that you won't end up buying a house in Solo-Land.

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