Self-Disclosure

One of the fundamental forms of interpersonal communication that each person applies on a daily basis is talking about oneself, also known as self-disclosure. As a matter of fact, the psychologists interpret self-disclosure as the process of giving something away to another individual, especially revealing some unknown facts and secrets. Very frequently, self-disclosure encompasses details about your beliefs, moral values, and wishes, also including innermost thoughts, your style of behavior, and personal traits of character. Except for the verbal self-disclosure, you may reveal yourself by wearing peculiar clothes with particular prints or colors, wearing shirts with some slogans, or having tattoos and piercings. Even wearing a wedding ring can tell about your personality, beliefs, and convictions.

Self-disclosure takes place in all communication forms, varying from the clich?s to public announcements and television reality shows. What is more, self-disclosure is versatile in terms of culture. For instance, the British and the Japanese do not wear their heart on their sleeve as frequently as the Americans. As for the Chinese, they find it inappropriate to self-disclose. While some cultures consider self-disclosure to be a sign of weakness or cowardice, other cultures regard it as an indication of low self-confidence. Self-disclosure also varies by the genders. Women have a tendency to reveal more information than men. Moreover, females tell the secrets related to their personal life, romantic relations, attitudes to particular people, and their greatest worries. As for men, they are not susceptible to revealing such secret information.

It has been discovered that with the development of the romantic relations, the level of self-disclosure increases among women while it remains the same among men. The reasons why people self-disclose are various. You may reveal secret facts to feel better or to share your innermost thoughts with your best friend. Self-disclosing turns out to be unnoticeable, and, basically, people tend to open up every day, at work or at home, and at any time of the day.