Marital Bliss
Kristen Laughlin
COM 200
Katie Decker
January 9, 2012
Marital Bliss
Dear Michelle and Jordan,
Congratulations on your recent engagement. It was so nice to receive your phone call to hear the great news. I’m glad that you two are finally taking the big step towards spending the rest of your lives with each other. I am positive that you will be happy together, but it is going to take a lot of work and communication. I am currently in an Interpersonal Communication class in college and I have been learning about the positives and negatives of communication and how it helps and progresses relationships. Some strategies of communication that I have learned about include being able to identify the barriers to effective interpersonal interactions, recognizing how words have the power to create and change attitudes and behaviors, and also how to determine exactly how much of yourself you should disclose to your partner. I am writing you this letter to share what I have learned in my class and to help ensure that you have a long and happy marriage where you can communicate openly and effectively.
Evaluate appropriate levels of self-disclosure in relationships.
Self-disclosure is a key factor in the progression and success of relationships and there are certain limitations you should take when determining exactly how much of yourself to discuss. Self-disclosure means that you tell someone about yourself, the likes, dislikes, and feelings (Sole, 2011, pg.7.5). “Typically, romantic relationships begin with a lot of sharing and excitement” (Schoenberg, 2011). Getting to know someone takes an abundance of courage because you must be willing to open up and let someone know the most personal aspects of your life.
According to my text book “self-disclosure is usually intentional” (Sole, 2011, pg.7.5). This basically means that you decide what you will tell someone about yourself. You make this decision based on what you know about the other person...