Interpersonal Communication-Assignment Week 1

“Close Relationships Sometimes Mask Poor Communication”

Michelle Ziegler
Interpersonal Communication-COM200
Ben Barckholtz
May 18, 2013

“Close Relationships Sometimes Mask poor Communication”

In my opinion, I think that after reading this article, it makes me wonder how some spouses do not have the same wavelength as their partners. I have been with my partner for twenty some years now and we both know what each other is thinking, I can finish his sentences before they even come out of his mouth. I have the best man in the world because anytime I am feeling down, he always knows how to pick me up, he will go out and pick me some flowers just to get me in a better mood. I remember one time when I was sick, he did everything from making me something to eat to bringing me a hot cup of tea with honey and lemon in it. I love him so much! I don 't know what I would do without him! According to this article, I disagree with it because relationships are very strong if you know how to make them work. According to Kenneth Savitsky, a professor of psychology at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts states “Some couples may indeed be on the same wavelength, but may be not as much as they think. You get rushed and preoccupied, and you stop taking the perspective of the other person, precisely because the two of you are so close.” I am on the same wavelength as my man, so I disagree with Savitsky because I know my man inside and out and I do not need some study to say anything against my relationship. Having a close relationship like mine only happens once in a lifetime. I always hear my friends say “ I can 't believe that you guys are still together!” I met my man in high school, and we have been together ever since so, true love does happen. I have such a great close relationship with my man that when we get up in the morning, we have a routine to sit and have breakfast together, then we

“Close Relationships Sometimes Mask Poor Communication” cont.

go take a walk down to the Gulf, it 's right behind our house and it has a beautiful waterfall and I love to just go sit down there, it is so relaxing! In the article “Healthy Relationships lead to better lives,” by Ted Johnson, Psychology professor Arthur Aron, PhD, director of the Interpersonal Relationships Laboratory at New York 's Stony Brook University states “communication is important because conflicts are inevitable in relationships, and 'most people are poorly prepared to deal with them well.” Aron also states that “All relationships require effort and attention, sometimes that effort and attention is automatic, such as with an infant. Beyond what is automatic, for most relationships, we usually need to put attention and effort into them, and it pays off” (Johnson, 2011). I have had a miscommunication with someone before, it was between me and my sister, I told her that she should find a different boyfriend because he wasn 't right for her and we haven 't spoken to each other for two years now and it really hurts because I miss my sister! We cannot really look into the future as what may or may not happen because miscommunication happens whether we want it to or not. Ways to make sure that communication is clear is not say what you really want to say because sometimes people get hurt in the process so, watch what you say even if you have to bite your tongue. You are going to have miscommunication with someone in your life because it is very unavoidable, what we might want to say may not come out the way that we want it to. Some

“Close Relationships Sometimes Mask Poor Communication” cont.

ways that you can make sure that miscommunication does not happen in the future would be to think about what you are going to say before you actually say it, and listen, this is a big part of communication because if you do not listen to what the other person is saying, this leads to miscommunication and we assume the other person has said something that we thought he/she had said instead of what they actually said, this is miscommunication. By communicating effectively, we can learn how to communicate better with each other by listening to the other person and by learning to pay attention, this is another key factor in communication. By paying attention and listening to one another miscommunication will not happen, I know that this is sometimes hard to do with everybody 's busy schedule but, sometimes you have to set aside some time to communicate with each other.

References

Close Relationships Sometimes Mask Poor Communication ( 2011, January). U.S. News &\ World Report. doi: 2270370591. Retrieved from http://www.proquest.com

Johnson, T. (2011, March). Healthy relationships lead to better lives. The Nations Health, 41(2), p. 20. doi: 2291829641. Retrieved from http://www.proquest.com

References: Close Relationships Sometimes Mask Poor Communication ( 2011, January). U.S. News & World Report. doi: 2270370591. Retrieved from http://www.proquest.com Johnson, T. (2011, March). Healthy relationships lead to better lives. The Nations Health, 41(2), p. 20. doi: 2291829641. Retrieved from http://www.proquest.com