Emotional Intelligence

            After taking the self test, I have realized that my emotional intelligence was not as good as I had imagined. My score was fairly low which indicated that I have some trouble dealing and understanding my own as well as other’s emotions. For the most part, I was shocked that I received such a low score but at the same time it also made a great deal of sense. Being able to deal with the emotions of other individuals especially those who are closest to you is something that you deal with on a day to day basis. If you aren’t able to deal with these emotions and face them straight on, the interactions with others will be a struggle. Some suggestions that were given were to offer support to others, motivate yourself to overcome obstacles, and even to establish closer relationships with those around you in order to build stronger ones.

            After watching the video in class about the ten tips for creating a good emotional intelligence, I have come to realize that I should learn to make my tasks underwhelming. In school there are many tasks that I take on from assignments to even being at events around campus. I have to learn to not take on so much at one time and I have to balance what needs to be done with what I can get to later. This will help me become less stressed and also more focused on achieving my goals. Also, I am going to try to relax a bit more as well. This will encourage me to take on more challenges that I can handle without feeling overwhelmed and even frustrated. My emotional intelligence is something that I am going to work on in order to improve myself and those around me.  

Interpersonal Communication and Conflict

            Conflict is something that we cannot escape as human beings. It will always be something that we have to deal with and find a way to resolve. Everyone goes about dealing with conflict in different ways and it is usually a way that seems to work best for the individual. One way to deal with conflict may not be better than the next; however there are certain ways to handle conflict in certain situations. When I am faced with conflict I tend to make the relationship with that person stronger rather than weaker. I get to really understand where the other person is coming from and what they are trying to get across. By dealing with conflict, I am able to gain a level of respect for the other person and always put myself in their shoes. This helps the relationship grow stronger because both individuals are now connecting with one another on a whole different level than they did before.

            The style that I am most comfortable using would have to be avoiding or denying conflict. Although I usually face conflict head on, there are many times when I rather not deal with it and don’t want to believe that it exists. This usually is the case when I believe that I have nothing to apologize for. Even though this may not be the right way to deal with conflict, it is the one that I always seem to use. For example, I have recently been having problems with my roommate. We have lived together since our freshmen year and now we are juniors. We have come to the point where maybe living together is hurting our relationship. Whenever there is conflict between the two of us, we tend to go to others to talk about things before talking to each other in person which allows for even more conflict to arise. By doing this we are avoiding the situation until it cannot be avoided any longer. Once we decide to come together to discuss the issue, we face the conflict and find a way to get over it. We have both agreed that having two different roommates next semester may actually be better for us and may even bring us closer together.

            However, when in an argument or something of that nature with my sister, I tend to use power and influence. My sister and I are always trying to out do the other no matter what the situation may be. Neither I nor my sister wants to believe that we are wrong in any situation. Therefore, the arguing and conflict never really come to an end. This is very selfish, but I deal with conflict in a different manner with my sister than I would with a friend of mine. When having to deal with future conflict I am going to try to use empathy to the best of my ability. Although that is sometimes something that we don’t want to do, it may make the conflict end and reach a solution of some sort. Additionally, I am gong to decide on the best solution and what makes the most sense. Making sure that the conflict is resolved fairly and that the agreement works best for both individuals can be the best solution to any conflict. I am going to take notice of the way I handle conflict in the future and decide whether it is effective or not.

Self Disclosure and Social Networking

            After reading the article, I would definitely agree with the idea that as a society we are revealing too much information about ourselves through the cyber world. We are beginning to trust our relationships with online users to the point where nothing seems to be a secret any longer. When acting this way, it can potentially lead to danger if we don’t start watching what we say to others. As the article describes, giving out too much personal information can to lead to things that we would never even think to happen. The Johari window utilizes four main aspects of self disclosing and helps us to decide what or how much of something we tell to others. When looking at a window for myself, I had noticed that perhaps I am disclosing too much information to others.

            It is always good to trust others, however sometimes I put things in my “open” box that perhaps I shouldn’t. Things that are in my “open” box may actually be more appropriate in my “hidden area”. I am someone who doesn’t mind expressing something to others or letting others into my life, however it may be safer to pick and choose what exactly it is I decide to disclose. I agree with the fact that people disclose in order to get things off their chest or to vent about something that they are going through. I feel that this could be the number one reason as to why people disclose to others in the first place. Social networking is how people share common interests and work together to express their emotions. There is nothing wrong with this, but I agree with what was mentioned in the article. Giving out too much information isn’t always the best of ideas. As a cyber user myself I am going to work to disclose less of my personal information.