Free essay on interpersonal relationship

Introduction

Interpersonal relationship is the association that exists between two or more people. It can be either fleeting or endurance. The association can be based on love, solidarity, business relations or some types of social commitments. There are several reasons that can make individuals come together in a relationship and in most cases, it involves some level of interdependence. People who are in a relationship often influence each other in a number of ways that can sometimes for the good of the parties involved or can also have some negative impacts to the involved parties. Interpersonal relationships can grow and decline depending on the parties involved and a number of circumstances that can influence the same. An interpersonal relationship usually start on a high note and in some cases it can end abruptly or start to decline progressively until it is completely faded away. The fall of an interpersonal relationship can be caused by a number of factors or if one of the partners betrays the other. Depending on the prevailing circumstances, the relationship can end or the involved parties can seek solution to end the stalemate and continue with the relationship.
James and I have known each other for a period of about five years. James was driving down the streets of downtown Johannesburg when he accidentally splashed water on me. I became very furious and could not listen to his apologies. During this time, none of us knew that we could be such good friends. At first we seemed to share very little. However, as time went by, we came to realize that we had a lot similar experiences and interests. James had just graduated from Johannesburg University with a bachelor’s degree in Linguistic studies while I had just joined the same university undertaking a similar course. After talking for a while, James offered to drop me to my hostel so that I could go and changes my clothes. This offer changed the perception I had for this young man and it marked the beginning of our relationship.
The relationship is still growing strong than any of us could expect. We nowadays meet regularly and hold some discussions based on our professional and educational experiences. Five years down the line but both of us are into each other that one can think that we have just begun the relationship. Our relationship is a platonic kind of relationship but a person can mistake it for something more than that. We have found comfort in each other occasionally organize for outings together.
At the moment our relationship has only gone through the first three stages common to most relationships. We have not reached the deterioration stage or the termination stage. So far all has been well despite the minor disappointments that we can get from each. Such disappointments are negligible and haven’t done much harm to the relationship.

The stages that the relationship has gone through include:

i. Acquaintance
This is the stage of meeting and knowing each other. From the incidence of water splashing, as we drove to the hostel, we got to know each other. Later on in our subsequent meetings, we were able to get well acquainted with each other and were able to build the relationship.
ii. Build-up stage
During our subsequent meetings, we got to learn more about each other and we were able to build the relationship even stronger. This is the time that we realized that we were compatible and shared a lot of similar experiences. We were then able to make the relationship even stronger.
iii. Continuation stage
This is the stage that the relationship blossoms and the survival of the relationship depend on this stage. If the two parties involved are not transparent to each other, then the relationship is most likely to end at this stage. James proved to be a good-hearted man and this helped in winning my trust for him. This has been our building block and has contributed a lot towards the continuation of the relationship.
This relationship is composed of a number of communication patterns which have contributed towards the continuation of this relationship. They include: frequent apologizing which marked the beginning of this relationship and has since been used by either parties to strengthen the relationship. James for instance is a poor keeper of time and I get upset quite easily. Whenever he knows he has wronged me he would apologize remorsefully and this has helped in protecting the relationship from wrangles. In our relationship, we try as much as possible to avoid blaming each other or having numerous complaints as we have realized that they are not healthy for any relationship. We always try to make peace whenever a quarrel occurs and we have also learnt to listen to each other whenever an explanation is being offered regarding some occurrence. Both of us are self-disclosing and we do not hide our thoughts from each other. This has helped the relationship mature as we are able to understand each other’s problem and seek ways of resolving such problems whenever they occur.
The relationship has been in existence for the last five years and there is a probability that it can last for at least some time. The relationship has not reached the fourth stage which is the deterioration stage. It is still blossoming and hopefully we will live to see another day or even a decade when we are still together. Despite the numerous challenges that we do experience in the relationship like a part disappointing the other or failing to meet some of the obligations, we have been able to solve such issues hence the positive performance of the relationship. The relationship has been of much help to both parties as we have been able to gain professional experience from each other and we have also been able to learn a lot about life from each other’s experience.

References

Rothwell, J. Dan. (2004) In the Company of Others. 2nd ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 278-285.
Knapp, M. L. (1984). Interpersonal Communication and Human Relationships. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.