Week #4 - Post #1 (Self-disclosure)

Self-disclosure is a interesting concept with relation to communication. In psychology, I learned of a concept called "painful self-disclosure" in which the elderly often reveal somewhat embarassing facts about themselves. This could include medical disabilites, or personality deficits. This often creates an akward relationship with the other communicator, as that person often has just met. The example of the onion, in which layers of personality and facts about the person, and literally what they are made of, is very true. I think back to all my communicative relationships, and I have always followed the depth and breadth of self-disclosure, including the 4 ideas brought forth by Altman and Taylor, including that peripheral items are exchanged more frequently, and sooner than private information, as the most true.