Lock it up

I had Tuesday off work last week and took the time to catch up with two friends; good chaps, dependable, capable and who's company I enjoy; we had lunch, enjoying the discussions, catching up with the latest and generally just talking shit as we tend to do.

One of them was telling me about his boss who isn't popular in the workplace because he's, hmm...how can I put this delicately, a fucken asshole, and how the fellow seems incapable of keeping his mouth shut even in respect of personal staffing matters which is not the done thing these days. A personal matter was divulged to several of the staff, one concerning a woman that worked there and it's blown up in his face; the boss is likely to be demoted at best and fired at worst.

The three of us come from a background in which keeping one's mouth shut was expected meaning information was kept within a tight circle and one simply did not mention it outside of secure environments no matter what. Ok, that's a work environment you say, true, but back in those days people in general were more guarded and careful with what they said and the information they divulged - Now they just blurt it out like idiots. People seem eager to tell everyone everything and while it may seem initially harmless, information is power, and withholding that information especially in this cyber-world where people are compromised so easily makes sense to me - why don't people lock up their information, shut their mouths, or at least think long and hard before what and when to share?

Society seems to have lost its filter and certainly it's sense of restraint when it comes to sharing online and I think that's led people to speak more freely offline too, it's formed a habit that has caused people to open their mouths before thinking how what they say will affect them or others. My friends and I chatted about it, three dudes who value security of information and actively protect it, and ended up just shaking our heads in disgust at how readily people throw their personal information around.

What are your thoughts on this situation and what factors do you think have led people to feel the need to share more than they should; do people seek validation, want to show off, feel relevant in other people's estimation, is it ego and hubris or cluelessness? If you have any thoughts and want to share them please go ahead.