Self-Disclosure is a very important concept to practice in a close relationship. Self-Disclosure can be defined as sharing intimate details about yourself to somewhat that you care about that you would not discuss with someone else. This information can consist of secrets, inner feelings, facts about yourself, or any number of other personal details. For example, you could share an embarrassing moment that you experienced in your past with a loved one that you typically do not talk about with other people.
Disclosing personal information like this can potentially make the relationship stronger. It can build trust between two people and make the recipient likelier to share intimate details with you as well. However, Self-Disclosure can also have a negative effect on the relationship if you are not careful. Some personal details may hurt the other person’s feelings. For instance, if you told your partner that you did not like their haircut, you are sharing your personal feelings with them yet they make be offended by what you have to say and feel bad about themselves as a reaction. Therefore, it is always crucial to think about the information you want to disclose with the other person to make sure that this new information will be constructive in some way for the relationship.
One example could be if you have a problem with the way that the other person never seems to return their phone calls. Addressing this issue through Self-Disclosure might help to lead to a potential solution to the problem. Sometimes telling someone how you feel can help bring to light something that they did not realize was a problem in the first place.
They may remember the information you shared with them in the future and work to fix the issue. Additionally, they may be more willing to come to you with their problems. As you can see, Self-Disclosure has the potential to either strengthen the relationship or cause harm to it. This is why it is essential to think about the information you choose to disclose with the other person beforehand.
