Communicating in Relationships

While it is easy to see the value of communication in close relationships, whether they be romantic, familial or friendly, it is not always easy to communicate. I have learned from experience that in matters of small, household communication, it is best to be honest and open from the start. There's also a benefit to developing shared talking styles. For instance, when someone in your family notices that the last piece of chocolate cake is gone, and starts to make a stink about it, you had better own up and admit that you were the culprit before the wronged party gets overly angry and the situation gets out of hand. In any type of relationship, boundaries are also important to communicate.

In situations with work, roommates or newly moved-in partners, communicating the boundaries that you have and asking if there are any boundaries that the other person wants you to respect is very helpful in building a relationship with a solid foundation. My roommate and I started out having issues with each other due to the fact that we had not initially set any boundaries for each other. Once we sat down and set some ground rules, for instance, not borrowing each other’s possessions without getting permission first, our rather turbulent relationship was positively impacted, and we became better friends. While lack of communication is one thing that is detrimental to interpersonal relationships, something else that can be harmful is if you wrongly assume successful communication has taken place. In communication, it is important not to make assumptions and to be as clear as possible. Sometimes, elegance in communication is exchanged for clarity, but the positive impact even inelegant communication has on all types of relationships is worth this small sacrifice.