English

Affirm and Assert Yourself

It talks about how important to affirm yourself. I also learned that I am no less valuable, my preference is no less valid than others. We should respect and honor both ourselves and other’s needs. The principle of confirming people’s worth applies just as much to oneself as to others. Sometimes, we will not be able to meet all the needs in relationships, but it is also important to express our feelings to them. If we do not give any voices, there are no ways others can confirm us. The text also defined assertion, which is a matter of clearly and nonjudgmentally stating what you feel, need, or want. We can be asserted without disparaging others. We should also learn how people affirm themselves, and different ways to express their feelings directly or indirectly in order to communicate more effectively.

Respecting Diversity in Relationships

I think it is important to remind people that everyone is different and every relationship is different as well. People also change over time in relationships. It bothers me when people go into a relationship and compare their current relationship to their last and say things like, “so & so does not do this for me like my ex used to”, which I think is kind of irrational. Because everyone’s personality is different, the time it takes for a relationship to develop and reaching certain benchmarks also vary. Thus, it is vital to be open to everyone’s uniqueness and try to adapt and work with them to foster growth in a relationship. In addition, it is really important to be aware of other cultures and backgrounds’ communication patterns or norms. If we are unaware of what topics are forbidden, or invade their personal space, it can easily push others away. First impressions are also a huge indicator of whether or not the other person wants to make more out of the relationship or sort of stray away from it, which is why it is so important to respect diversity in relationships.