Further Discussion

A concept that I feel needs further discussion is the development of friendship. The stages of friendship are role-limited interaction, friendly relations, moving towards friendship, nascent friendship, stabilized friendship and waning friendship. When I went over this topic before, I mentioned how surprised I was by how easily a friendship can reach the waning stage and fall apart. I didn’t realize that not spending less time with someone could lead to the end of a relationship. I also said that I planned on using what I learned in this chapter to try and be a better friend. It has been a few weeks since then and I can say that I have done what I said I would do and, as a result, have become a better friend. Friendship that I had thought were in the waning stage have now gone back to being stabilized because I’ve made a conscious effort to spend more time with those who I had previously neglected.

Question 2 (What I've learned)

Before taking this class, I wasn’t a big fan of communication. I was the sort of person who liked to keep certain thoughts and feelings to himself. Through our assignments and discussions, I’ve come to understand the value of communication and how it can strengthen any relationship. I learned a lot in this class. I learned more about my romantic relationships and how I should be treating my partner. The mistakes I made in past relationships were made clear to me in chapter 11. Through acknowledging these mistakes, I’ve learned how to be a more patient and open partner. My understanding of friendships and how they are formed was broadened by chapter 10. I was able to take away a few techniques that I think have helped me to become a better friend. However I think that, above all else, this class has helped me to learn more about myself and who I am as a person.

Question 1 (Class)

I think what I liked most about this class is how it made it easy for me to speak my mind and express my opinions on certain matters. I don’t talk all that much in my regular classes. Furthermore, there aren’t many opportunities for me to get know my classmates that well either. I usually just talk to the people who sit next to me and it is never about anything that important. This class was different. I not only got to talk with my fellow classmates on a weekly basis, I also got to hear what they had to say about my thoughts and opinions on the subject matter. This was my first experience with an online class and I can honestly say that I enjoyed it. I don’t think I would want to change anything about this class. It seemed to work great just the way it was.  

Family Life Cycle

A concept that I thought was interesting in this chapter was the family life cycle. I liked how the chapter was able to break it down into just seven different stages which were establishing a family, enlarging a family, developing a family, encouraging independence, launching children, postlaunching of children and retirement. I liked being able to look at these stages and think about which stage the people in my life are at. I know people who have just stepped into stage two, others who are in stage three and I’m sure my parents would be in stage five of their family life cycle. I’ve always imagined that settling down and having a family would be a difficult decision for me but this chapter made it seem like a challenging but altogether beautiful process. Although I do not plan on starting a family anytime soon, this chapter has at least opened my mind to the possibility of it.

Question 2 (Marriage)

Based on recent cultural trends and the progression of my generation’s values, I think that marriage is going to become less meaningful in the next fifty years. This chapter mentioned that approximately half of all marriages end in divorce now and sixty percent of remarriages do not last either. With this in mind, I think that marriage could reach a level of degradation in which it is equivalent to dating someone instead of being the lifelong commitment it was meant to be. I’ve never been married, so I can’t say I know the struggles and obstacles that come along with it, but I’m still disappointed by the divorce rate these days. It makes me think that people, that my generation, isn’t taking marriage as seriously as they should. I’m not saying that no one should be allowed to get a divorce. I’m just saying that it shouldn’t be used so freely. It should be a last resort, something you turn to when you’ve already tried everything else.

Question 1 (Family)

I would define family as being a group of people who are deeply connected to each other through blood, love or shared experiences. In my opinion, you can’t consider someone to be family unless you have a connection to them through one of the three. Although most people seem to see family as primarily a matter of blood or marriage, I’ve come to understand that love and shared experiences are far more important. My little sister is adopted but I love her with all of my heart and, as such, have never seen her as anything but a member of my family. On the other hand, my aunts, uncles and cousins are related to me by blood but, since I hardly ever see them, I consider them to be relatives not family. Being a part of a family is about more than blood and marriage. It’s about being there for those who are closest to you when they need you. It’s about accepting them as they are, flaws and all. It’s about having people in your life you know will love you unconditionally. I have a mother, father, two big brothers, and a little sister and what makes us family, above all else, is that we love each other and have no doubts that that will ever change.

Long-Distance Relationships

A part of this chapter that I thought was interesting was the part that went over Adapt Communication to Maintain Long-Distance Relationships. I guess I was drawn to it because I’ve never really seen the point in long-distance relationships. I tried it briefly a few years ago and it didn’t work for me or for her. Since we didn’t get to see each other and only talked ever so often, it began to feel like we were in a relationship only for the sake of being able to say that we were. I agree with the books explanation of how long-distance relationships can grant a sense of autonomy or even a routine that is hard to break even when you’re together again. In my experience, being in such a relationship is actually just being single with the advantage of being able to say you’re in a relationship when it suits you.