Angel Bedora
Interpersonal Communication 200
Angela Cranon-Charles
July 10, 2010
Aspects of Interpersonal Relationships In this paper I would like to discuss a few of the different aspects of interpersonal relationships. I am going to discuss what motivates us to seek out others and if we do indeed have a biological need to connect and interact with other human beings. I will be talking about self concept and the process by which it is developed and maintained. I will also discuss why a good self concept is crucial for positive communication in interpersonal relationships. I will also be discussing many of the different barriers that we face in our interpersonal interactions. Your self concept reflects much about you and is eminent in your verbal and nonverbal communication. How you feel about yourself on the insides reflects and shines brightly on the outside. We are not born with our identity; it is given to us through the reflected appraisals of our parents, friends, and teachers. Reflected appraisals are messages that you get about yourself from others. (Weaver et al., 2009) Throughout our lifetime our self concept will change due to our relationships, our place in life, our age, and the roles that we are assuming at the time. I can remember when I gave birth to my first son, I felt very afraid of the new task ahead of me. I can remember that I was actually afraid to be alone with my newborn son. I felt inexperienced and unaware of how the next few days were going to play out. Ten years later I gave birth to my third son, and I was excited and sure of myself. I couldn’t wait to get my son home alone. My self concept was very positive and because I had been through this experience a couple of times before and I knew that I was capable of handling the situation. As human beings we have basic needs, food water, shelter, elimination, and yes companionship is one of them.
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