A cover up exposed

The word:
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:8-9
The meaning:

By Peter Paul Ruebens. Fall of Man Wikipedia commons

Five times in this passage, verses 6-10, the writer makes a “if we say– then that” type statement, and they all expose a basic human tendency. That tendency is to try to make our selves look good, justifying ourselves to others, or even to our own selves.
If we say we have fellowship with God, but don’t act like it, we are not living out the truth, which is that God is light. If we say we are without sin, we are just deceiving ourselves, or if we say we have not sinned, we are contradicting the truth or lying.
Way back in the beginning of the bible, Adam and Eve were deceived into sinning. They were perhaps deceived, but they still had a choice. When God questioned them, Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the snake.
So our tendency is to sin, and then our tendency is to try to cover it up, blame someone else, or justify it in some way. We can deceive others, and even deceive ourselves.
But there is good news.
Instead of trying to hide the truth – or our sin – we should let it be exposed in the light. God is light and God wants to share it with us.
Verse 10 says, if we confess – or agree with God that we have sinned – then he will forgive us. Notice it says nothing about whether we deserve to be forgiven or not. He is “faithful and just” which means, he will keep his word, and since he is God, he also has the authority to do so.
And this is what God wants to do. God wants to forgive us.
The question:
Why do we try to hide our sins? What would happen if we freely confessed our sins?