2. REVEALING OURSELVES
IN RELATIONSHIPS
Self- Disclosure, the act of intentionally giving
others information about ourselves that we believe is
true that they don’t already have. From intimate
conversations about our hope and dreams to mundane
chats about our favorite restaurant.
Benefits, self-disclosure can be good for us and for
our relationships. There are four key benefits of self-
disclosure, that is: enhancement of relationships and
trust, reciprocity: emotional release and assistance to
others.
Risks of Self-Disclosure, like many communication
behaviors, self-disclosure isn’t always a positive
action: it has both good and bad aspects. There are
potential risks such as: chance of obligating others,
hurting others and violating privacy.
3. Why Social Relationships
Matter
Imagine what life would be like without friends. Families and Romantic
relationships are important to us, but our friends and acquaintances contribute
significantly to our well-being.
4. We Form Relationships
Because We Need to Belong
Each of us is born with a drive to seek, form, maintain and protect strong
relationships. To fulfill that drive, we use communication to form social bonds
with others; at work, school, or in community.
5. Besides fulfilling our need to belong, social relationships matter also because they
bring us rewards. We’ll now look at three types of rewards, emotional, material
and health and find that they are intertwined.
Social Relationships Bring
Rewards