How to Get Someone to Tell a Secret

Whether you're a secret spy trying to get your mark to tell you a piece of national security intelligence or you just want to find out if someone's got a crush on you, knowing how convince someone to reveal a secret gives you a leg up in all situations.

Instructions

1. Identify that there is a secret to be told and figure out who knows it by going to people who are usually in the know. If you highly suspect that someone knows a secret, simply ask him outright about the information. Watch him carefully to see if he's covering a lie or if he simply hesitates as he thinks about what he wants to tell you.

2. Respond to the person that it's completely fine that she doesn't want to tell you the secret, since the person will almost always respond (in some form or other) that she's not allowed to say. Being cool and nonchalant about her not telling you is one of the best ways to get someone to tell you a secret since, at bottom, most people really want to divulge any secret they know.

3. Assure the person that, first, you're not really interested in the secret and, second, that you have no interest in passing it along once he asks you whether or not he can trust you with it. If you don't get this far (with the secret-holder offering to tell you the secret) then simply say, "I know, I haven't told anyone either," and try to drop the conversation to make it seem like you already know the secret.

4. Add a little bit of friendly extortion to the situation by telling the person that you know a secret about her. While the threat seems unlikely, to a person who previously thought she held the power (by holding the secret) finding out that she's not totally in the know is very disturbing. Convince the person to reveal the secret by saying that you'd be happy to tell her about your secret if you get a "gesture of good will" first.