by Stephanie Graham

Created on: August 01, 2009

Julia comes home from work one day feeling upset and furious about the way her boss treats her, along with her other female co-workers. Upon returning home and seeing her husband Eward, she begins to pour out her frustrations to him. Edward is completely unaware of, or takes very lightly, Julia's concerns by telling a joke. Julia looks at him with an expression of outrage. She cannot believe how lightly Edward is taking the matter and becomes even more infuriated. Julia begins to express angrily how inconsiderate he is being towards her, and how he cannot take anything seriously. She then storms out crying. Edward follows behind her apologizing, insisting that he was completely unaware of how serious the matter was to her and had no idea she was angry. In this incident, although Julia did not tell Edward that she was upset if he had paid attention to all of the signs, this outburst could have been avoided.

How we interact or communicate with others, whether it is socially, personally, or with our families is essential in determining how healthy our relationships will be. Understanding interpersonal communication and how to respond tactfully can undoubtedly improve our relationships. There are various aspects that need to be considered in regards to interpersonal communication- our self-concept, our perception, how we listen, and the ways we communicate non-verbally.

The Self

How we look at ourselves influences how we will interact with those around us and how they will interact with us. The way we see ourselves is encouraged by the way those in our surroundings perceive us and the things they say about us. We often compare ourselves to those around us. Therefore, what we have come to understand about ourselves determines how we perceive ourselves.

The way others treat us and react to us affects our self-concept, especially when their opinions are greatly valued. Children value their parents perception. Adults value their friends, colleagues, and significant others perceptions. We develop a high self-image if we are treated highly and vice versa.

Comparing ourselves with others helps us to identify what our qualities are, what we dislike about ourselves and what we are capable of. We may observe someone's personality and judge ourselves negatively because we do not like that particular aspect of our personality. For example, a daughter realizes that she has the same temperamental and stubborn personality of her mother and may judge herself negatively

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