One of the most interesting aspects of Interpersonal
Communication Ethics is that in order for it to exist organically it requires
distance. Interpersonal communication is shared among a small group of people,
usually 2 to 4, and it seeks to “protect and promote the good of the
relationship” (P. 119). Whereas other forms of communication ethics such as
dialogic ethics requires a live dialogue in order to promote the good,
interpersonal communication ethics requires a distance, and sometimes silence,
to make itself beneficial for the greater good of the relationship.
Relationships need space and distance to be nurtured and change naturally.
Since relationships are ever evolving, the people within
those relationships have to grow and change in order to adapt
themselves. If people fail to grow and change, the relationship can fail and
eventually dissipate. One problem that I have found in my personal romantic
relationships has been the need to spend too much time together, not thinking
about the benefits of spending time apart. As we spend too much time with
certain people we lose sight of ourselves and often conform to what we think
our partners want us to be. This is extremely damaging to the relationship
because you are no longer focused on the good of the relationship, you are
focused on what you perceive is the good for the other person. When you lose
sight of yourself, you are no longer the individual you were at the beginning
of a relationship, and to your partner you are no longer the person they chose
to be invested in. Distance between two people is “an ethical responsibility”
(P. 125), as it allows people to remain true to the good of the relationship;
naturally changing with time and not forcing a change on what is perceived to
be good. It is important to remember that the good of the relationship is the
main goal, not the good of one person over the other; it is a mutual ethical
necessity.
Surely, the distance in interpersonal communication might be the unique feature. The other interesting part for me is how to measure the distance, especially with different contexts we encounter in daily life, and how can we deal with these different relationship with different distances. Based on the reading, it says "Interpersonal communication pervades our lives. Each relationship calls for unique levels of distance and different responsibilities. Each college student enters a time in life when distance with family members and close high school friends begins to emerge. Distance ultimately changes these relationships, permitting a form of engagement appropriate to a new stage of life" (P 121). As I can understand, the distance in interpersonal relationship determines how much private information we can share with others (the number of interpersonal group always ranges from 2 to 4), though at different stages of life, there are unpredictable changes on ourselves. Additionally, with different distances, we use different manners of speaking and attitudes to different groups of people.
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