Letter of advice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Letter of advice - Essay Example Sa number of obstacles to effective interpersonal communication that you have faced and may still face include reluctance to communicate, poor listening skills, predispositions about the subject, education and social background, age, gender, and cultural differences, language barrier, personality clashes, time pressures and unrealistic expectations. I feel that a major barrier to intimate relationships is unrealistic expectations that we have about our spouses. These is acquired from our upbringing, culture, romantic novels and movies or social media. When these expectations are not met, we feel disappointed and angry, then blame our spouses for the relationship troubles (Theravive, 2011). The solution is openness, honesty and active listening. Women and men communicate differently in relationships. Women communicate to connect with others. They relay emotions more readily and are more relationship-oriented. Their motivation is to build friendship and closeness and, thus, may appear too clingy or nagging. Men communicate to relay information. They dwell on topics that barely touch on emotions, thus, may appear to be aloof or uncaring. They see the practicality of issues and want to solve problems for their spouses. Bearing this in mind, the two of you can begin to understand the differences with which each gender approaches issues. For example, Sam can try to be more open about his emotions without appearing to be weak in your eyes, Sue. Also, Sue can try to be more patient and not take it personally when Sam tries to solve her problems. Culture refers to the values, behavior, and beliefs of a particular social group. These values can be about religion, race, nationality, social class and gender issues. They shape our thoughts, opinions, goals and perceptions. They are acquired during our formative years from our families, schooling and social environment. Intercultural relationships are beneficial because they offer