Читать книгу The Interpersonal Communication Playbook - Teri Kwal Gamble - Страница 18

We measure the quality of an interpersonal relationship along a continuum, with “intimate communication” at one end and “impersonal communication” at the opposite end. The more personally we interact with another person, the more “interpersonal” our relationship becomes. When we engage in interpersonal communication, our goal is to treat one another as genuine people, not as objects, and to respond to each other as unique individuals with whom we create a distinct relational culture, not as people merely playing roles.⁴

The more personal a relationship becomes, the more interdependent the members become, sharing thoughts and feelings with each other. Our lives become interconnected, especially when contrasted with how we relate to people with whom we are uninvolved and to whom we don’t reveal much about ourselves. We develop personal relationships because of the intrinsic rewards we derive from them; we find them emotionally, intellectually, and perhaps even spiritually fulfilling. In contrast, we have impersonal relationships usually because of the extrinsic rewards they offer, such as maintaining professional working relationships with others to help us reach our goals. Which kinds of relationships do you have more of—those that are impersonal, or those that are personal in nature?