Keeping secrets is a burden, or so the traditional wisdom goes. I googled: ''keeping secrets cognitive load''. The first result that referenced a sufficiently trustworthy source was a PDF hosted by Harvard uni. It was too fundamental research - experimental based on neuropsychological tests. I vaguely remember a key reason I abdicated from an intelligence analyst interview was reading about the negative consequences of secrecy. Based on the difficulty of finding clarity on this issue, I'll go with my subjective experience which is that keeping a secret is a mental burden (utility: -2, confidence: 60%)

Now, my name can be found somewhere in my post history. But, in practice my real life social circle is oblivious to my LW identity, including those in my social circles who are in the LW community. I would consider my identity a secret.

On LW, I am a schizotypal, perverted, oft depressed character who shares all. But, I share my mind authentically. In real life, I am well mannered early-career academic (util +7, 20%) with a foot in party politics (selfish util -4, 90%, EA util +12, 25%. Now, academic careers are often apolitical, so I should be fine there, and I've recently mentally figured that my involvement in party politics (on the recommendation of 80,000 hours) is sufficiently stressful that dropping that I don't care for it anymore. However, I am concerned by the possibility of stigmatisation for the self that I have revealed here, by the cohort of people in my social circle.

Doing a quick run through of the utils and likelihoods, it looks to me that I should open up my identities. On the other hand, I feel I no longer am the identity I have evolved from as I have been posting: I have gotten a lot more rational. In spite of this, I have no plans to cross pollinate identities yet.

I post because I am very interested to hear stories from anyone who has cross pollinated, so to speak. Will you share for a moment?