John catches three things people say to themselves when they're hiding: it doesn't really affect anything, it's not that bad, I don't even need to deal with it. The scariest one isn't the sin itself, it's being unaware of it — minimizing, comparing, telling yourself everyone does it. Jesus says people avoid the light out of fear their deeds will be exposed, and that fear is actually a tell: nobody hides something they genuinely think is fine. The hiding itself is proof you already know.
Think about it
Which of the three lies do you catch yourself telling — 'it doesn't affect anything,' 'it's not that bad,' or 'I don't need to deal with it' — and what's one specific place it shows up in your life right now?