Self-disclosure
One concept that stood out to me in my interpersonal communication class so far is self-disclosure, which is the process of reveling personal information. thoughts, feelings, and experiences to another person to build intimacy and trust (Jourard, 1971) I believe self-disclosure is a very important topic included in interpersonal communication because it builds trust, deepens connections with others, and it can possibly help people feel more understood. Seld-disclosure isn’t just talking about yourself, it is about mutual sharing that can allow relationships to grow. Learning this, I realized how important it is who we choose to share our personal information with and when, because it can impact the quality of our relationships. I, personally, have experiences a couple of examples of self-disclosure, which i will describe in this blog.
My first example is a positive one, that I experienced in high school. , I had just moved here and was trying to make friends, I’ve had the good and the bad from self-disclosure. One of my friends I made, and whom I am still friends with today, I opened to her about my life on a more personal level, telling her about my hard past, and things I was going through in school. At first, I was nervous and worried that she might have judged me and not wanted to be my friend anymore. My friend responded with understanding, and she shared her own similar experiences and feelings. That moment started our strong bond that we still have today. This aligns with research showing that appropriately times self-disclosure enhances intimacy and relation satisfaction.
Self-disclosure is not always positive, though. Self-disclosure, like anything, can have it’s downsides if trust isn’t maintained. My second example is a not so positive one, that I also experienced in high school with an old friend. It was a a friend I was very close to, and decided to open to them about some personal struggles I was facing in that moment. At first, this brought us closer, and so I felt comfortable sharing more. However, overtime this friend became very dismissive of what I shared. I think this experience shows a perfect example that self-disclosure must be mutual and contextual.
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Lastly, I want to include an example of a movie I watched in the past and how I portrayed it as self-disclosure. The movie I am going to talk about is called The Breakfast club (1985) and I think it is the perfect example for self-disclosure because in the movie a group of high school students that were completely different from each other were put into detention together after school. And while they are there, they open about their fears, family struggles, and insecurities. I feel like these moments of self-disclosure help the students see each other as more than just stereotypes and they build empathy among the group (Hughes, 1985).
Reflecting from these personal experiences and the way I portrayed a movie, I’ve learned that self-disclosure is a powerful tool when building relationships, but it must be used carefully, and must be mutual for it to work. Sharing personal thoughts, feelings, and struggles can deepen connections with other, but it also comes with risk. Observing how someone responds before sharing deeply personal information can help maintain trust and protect you. My advice to anyone trying to strengthen relationships is that it is just important to share as it is to listen, because it is mutual.
References:
Jourard, S. M. (1971). The transparent self. Van Nostrand Reinhold.
Hughes, J. (Director). (1985). The Breakfast Club [Film]. Universal Pictures.
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