A confession is a next step after taking a moral inventory. It is the recognition and declaration of a fault or weakness.

The subject of confession is the confessor. A confession is a statement without strings attached. It is not a request for forgiveness – that is an apology. It is not a request for a second chance – that is repentance and mercy. It is not a request for restored trust – that is most often manipulation. Confession can be used as a form of deception where the confessor uses a confession to hide a more significant fault. The purpose of a confession is not to encourage others. This type of confession proclamation is most often a statement of arrogance that is demeaning to others. If you want to promote someone, help them from where they are and not from where you have been.

A confession, most often, is nothing more than speaking what other people know about you anyway. A disclosure or revelation verbalizes a deep dark secret about yourself that everybody else already knew. Others know your faults, but they don’t know if you know or how you will react if you find out. You think you have successfully hidden your faults, but others know something is up. They may not know the specifics, but they are aware of the stench of deception in the air.