This chapter was on the topic of interpersonal communication. The chapter began with a discussion of distance, and I thought this was really interesting. The authors discussed how distance is necessary and healthy in order to maintain an effective interpersonal relationship. This "distance" makes it possible for us to reach growth within ourselves and our relationships with others. This distance really helped explain how important it is for oneself and the other in order to have a mutually beneficial conversation. Without understanding ourselves or the other, it is very difficult to form a meaningful relationship, professionally or personally.
Through this distance, it is easier for individuals to be able to choose which ways that they want to contribute to a relationship, or how much they want to contribute to it. Each person functions differently with communication, so being able to digest the relationship away from one another is a way that they would be able to be creative and learn about themselves and others. This chapter clearly emphasized the fact that interpersonal relationships are supposed to show growth, and not stay stagnated in one place. This is a way in which distance can help this. If all parties are trying to grow with one another, then they will learn to be better communicators over all. Page 180 states that "The key to interpersonal communication is invitation to relationship building, not smooth discourse at all costs." I couldn't agree with this more. This shows that communication conflict is supposed to happen, and if people choose to learn and grow from it, then so will their relationship with one another.
So basically distance is important for healthy and beneficial communication. I agree with this idea because whenever I talk with someone, I feel more comfortable when there is a space between me and other person. The distance can be an invisible wall which can be work as a personal room.
ReplyDeleteDo you think the distance can be the shield for each individual too? For example, there are so many miscommunication all over the place, people need to do some gestures and facial look while they are talking. Their gesture and facial look can be seen well in a certain distance because it would be uncomfortable to do those when we are too close.
I agree with Ann's ideas on distance. The distance part of interpersonal comm ethics plays a crucial role in the maintaining, growth, or decline within a relationship. This distance term made me think of the old saying "absence makes the heart grow". Also, it made me think of the saying, "you don't know what you got until it's gone". Without distance, it's hard for a person to truly comprehend how much another person means to them, and it makes the person more prone to not take their significant other for granted. In class today, we spent a lot of time discussing this term. I agreed with our class summary that distance is primarily a negotiation, that can preserve not only the relationship, but the individuals that have to deal with the ins and outs of what makes the relationship work. Also, we agreed that the term is not only physical, but emotional, that can play both on our bodies and our minds. We can miss a person's touch, or we can miss the feeling we get when we are around a specific person. Lastly, we agreed that distance is a give and take, which made me think of compromising. We have to compromise ourselves and our ideas, and hope that our other does the same in return. Then, we can observe optimum growth within a relationship.
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