Until taking this course, I did not think much about the specific development of my interpersonal relationships. I especially did not consider that there may be specific ways to address interpersonal conflict. It seemed to me initially that conflicts are haphazard interactions between two people and that they, certainly, did not follow some sort of unspoken rule or construction. Since learning more about conflict resolution strategies, I have witnessed similarities among the different conflicts that arise on a daily basis. More importantly, I have begun to realize that in knowing about interpersonal conflicts, I can also become more adept at handling them. This extends to even the smallest moments of conflict in my life but has started to make a huge difference in more significant conflicts.

There is no dearth of conflict in my life. More recently, I have been struggling with my mother who wants me to return home for the summer. I wish to spend the time volunteering and traveling. Initially, I practiced the avoidance conflict resolution strategy. However, in a situation such as this, practicing avoidance was not going to solve anything. My mother, who has an opposite style of conflict continued to bring up our differences and I was left with no effective way of handling them. Rather than practicing avoidance, I decided to make the conscious effort to try a different strategy. For this to be done effectively, I had to take into consideration my mother’s own perspective. What are the true motivations she sees that cause her to engage in conflict with me. Mostly, she wants me to be home where I am safe and accounted for. Once considering things from her perspective, I decided to approach the situation with a compromise. Under these terms, I would spend half of the summer at home and half spent traveling. While traveling I would also check in with her every twenty four hours. This assuaged her nerves about me being away. It also made me feel proud to realize just how much my mother cares about me. Overall, I was happy with this outcome, an example of how communication can be strategized for optimal understanding.

On the whole, my relationship to conflict has matured over the course of this semester. I am more willing to face conflicts directly and less afraid of the outcome. I also feel that having knowledge of effective communication strategies has benefitted me in many ways. Now I feel more in control of my interactions with others. However, one area I still feel needs improvement is dealing with conflict in the moment. Situations that are emotional are particularly difficult for me to address. Whenever emotions are at play, I have trouble thinking as logically as when I am calm and have had ample time to think. While this is still an area I need to practice patience, I am slowly getting better every day. Now, when I find myself in an emotional situation I try to walk away and give myself the time I need to approach the situation constructively. Even in the moment I give my emotions due consideration now because, they are a part of me whether I want them to affect my interactions or not.

Now that I have matured a bit in my communication style, I am looking forward to seeing myself use these skills in a wider variety of contexts. Someday when I hold a steady job, marry and possibly even have children, it will be interesting to see if these skills change with time or, remain staple examples of the best ways to foster healthy relationships. What this course has taught me above all is that proper communication takes reflection on the part of two communication partners.