What to share… when to share … how to share…  Questions milling around in any dater’s head.

The old advice, “You can never say the wrong thing to the right person” doesn’t really apply in our shidduch system.  For whatever reasons.

To some degree, it is not so much about when to share, but with whom to share. Do you feel that this shidduch can really be headed toward marriage?  Do you feel comfortable with each other? Do you feel that the other respects you? Appreciates the uniqueness of who you are?

The more important question is: what needs to be shared, and what really doesn’t.  And how many details.

Shidduch dating is about seeing if both of you are compatible for marriage to each other. And most of the discussion should be toward that end.  So before you just dump all your baggage, consider if what you are about to share is indeed important for the other person to know to determine if you are a good shidduch.  And similarly, before you pry into the other person’s personal life, determine if that is really important to know.

Before even discussing what should be shared or not, it is important for you to recognize that nobody’s life is perfect. Not yours. And not the person who you end up marrying.  Everybody has something.  And we can handle a lot more than we think we can.

Another aspect to consider is the halachos of lashon hara. And other people’s privacy.  There might be a purpose to share some part of the situation. How much? How?

So, what might be important for the other person to know?

We bring our whole selves into a marriage – our pasts, our experiences and all.  But not all should be shared.   No need to share about past relationships – who you met and when. No need to share about mistakes that you’ve grown from.  No need to share details of family issues.

You know your story. You know the players. And you know how much is important to share and what just becomes details.  Plan exactly what you will share, and how you will share that. You might discuss how you feel about it all, how you hope to do things differently and what you are proactively doing to that end. And prepare what you might say if the other asks questions that are too personal, or irrelevant.

Of course, you can preface this discussion with words like: “I certainly will not share your personal stories; they are not mine to share. And I hope that what I am about to disclose, you will never tell anyone else. [deep breath] Ok, here goes …”

And stick to your plan. You really don’t have to share all that much about it.  You can say something along the lines of: “I know the story, and I can assure you that the details aren’t really relevant …”

Sharing something personal can be a touchstone in a relationship. It can bring you closer. Or you just might see that the other person is not for you.  In either case, it just might be important to share some of it.

Slowly, if that feels more comfortable to you.