COMMUNICATE! One of the many challenges of adulthood is redefining your relationship with your parents, which is often most clearly expressed in the way you communicate with them. For example, do you resent their authority, or do you let them know you value their opinion even when you don't act on it? Listen carefully the next time you have a conversation with one or both of your parents. Do all of you sound like adults? If not, why not? What can you do to develop a more mature kind of communication?
COMMUNICATE! Self-disclosure is essential to interpersonal relationships, but too much self-disclosure too soon can scare people off. You also want to make a good impression! When you're just getting to know someone, make
sure you monitor and control how much you reveal about yourself, especially information that could be construed as negative. Pay attention to feedback from others--do they continue to be interested, or do they show signs of wanting to disengage from the conversation, such as looking around the room or moving away from you? Once you know people better and have begun to develop bonds of friendship, it is appropriate to disclose more personal and intimate information about yourself.
COMMUNICATE! You have probably experienced someone else's anger, and perhaps you reacted by becoming angry yourself. But deflecting anger over a minor matter may be more helpful than responding to it directly. The next time someone is angry, see whether you can remain calm long enough to hear the real message behind the person's anger. Is there a way you can respond to what is said, instead of to the way it was said? For instance, instead of "Quit yelling at me!" you might say, "I realize you're upset because I erased your messages. Is there anything I can do to help you find out who called?"
COMMUNICATE! The media portrayal of psychological problems and their treatment tends to be inaccurate at best and sometimes highly negative. How well can you interpret these messages? Select a book or film you've recently read or seen that deals with psychological illness and evaluate the author's or director's view of symptoms, causes, and treatment. How does he or she communicate this view, and how fair or biased is it? Does the book or film provide a counteropinion?
