Thoughts on Article
Jennette M. Bird
COM200: Interpersonal Communication
Instructor: Tamara Holmes
September 14, 2013
Thoughts on Article
The term communication is well understood in today’s society. We are all born as social beings, and learn how to communicate naturally. So what does it mean to communicate you ask? Well, to communicate simply means to express your thoughts or feelings, and our personal needs and desires through the use of words or actions as in nonverbal communication. In the article, Can We Talk? Researcher Talks about the Role of Communication in Happy Marriages, researchers studied a number of couples communication habits and the effects of self-disclosure, gender differences, and generalizations. So how does this article relate to my personal relationship? Well, let’s dig a little deeper to see how my experiences are similar to those mentioned in the article.
After reading this article, the picture became much clearer to me. Relationship expert, Terri Orbuch, states the importance of “quality” conversation between spouses. It’s not about discussing the daily household chores that keep marriages together; it’s about making time to connect with your partner on a daily basis to keep the balance in your relationship. I can fully understand and respect this theory now, but did not in my first marriage when ended mostly because of the lack of communication between the two of us. After I closed that chapter in my life, I took a step back and re-evaluated the elements that are in a relationship that are important to me, and how I would not settle for another “nonverbal” relationship again. I am remarried now, and we have an open line of quality communication where we discuss our private feelings, our future plans, and even what scares us the most on a daily basis. “Couples in Orbuch’s study who discussed such topics for as little as ten minutes a day were much happier, she says, and less likely to divorce,” (Schoenberg,...