Analyzing Interpersonal Conflicts

Interpersonal conflicts are a part and parcel of every relationship whether it’s with our friends, siblings, relatives or our very own parents. The key to a healthy and sustainable relationship lies in our ability to manage these conflicts.


Strangely, most of the conflicts I have had to encounter revolve around me and my family; namely my mom, dad and elder brother. Here’s describing just one of the many conflicts –


Ask any Indian parents about their thoughts on the importance of the 12th grade in a student’s life and here’s what you’ll get –“12th grade? That’s the most crucial stage of any child’s career. His/her entire future solely depends on it.” Sounds clichéd doesn't it? Well, my entire 12th grade went about me having to hear this quote on a daily basis, sometimes on an hourly basis as well. It felt like I dint have a life anymore. I was restricted from my tradition of staying at school till 5 just hanging out with friends, parties’, talking on the phone or even watching more than 2 hours of television. Here I must take time to give my parents some credit for not having banned all of these earlier, but nonetheless it seemed ridiculous to me at that point of time. The more my parents kept restricting me, the more I felt like disobeying them. On the contrary, there were times when I realized the gravity of my situation and would study for hours without a break. Even then, my parents would interrupt and ask me to take a break. I was furious and often felt like asking them –“Are you kidding me? You’ll never be happy with what I do, will you?”


However, months later when I got my results, there was no doubt that all their hard work had finally paid. Had it not been for them, I doubt I’d be sitting here, writing a blog for all of you to read in one of the most renowned university. Clearly, throughout the whole period, their motives had been right and my judgment wrong. All they wanted was for me to have a sound education and no unwanted distractions.
 Now, looking back, I regret for not having seen things from my parents perspective. Had I done so, I would have actually made things simpler for myself, don’t you think so?

“The art of communication is the language of leadership.” - James Humes

It’s a common assumption that good communication is merely based on the right choice of words. However, this is not entirely true. Human gestures, facial signals as well as the tonality are just as important as words, if not precede it. For example, consider a scenario where one says ‘Thank you’ with a scowl on their face. Such a situation often leaves the listener in a dilemma and arouses confusion, such as – ‘Was he being sarcastic? ’. Gestures, facial/vocal signals and words commingle to form what we call – ‘communication’.

Effective communication is an art; if mastered, could remove all barriers caused due to misinterpretations, help in solving problems and work as a confidence booster. With a passion for travelling, I intend to visit as many countries over the years as I possibly can and with such an inbuilt desire, communication becomes an essential tool for successful interaction with people belonging to different nationalities and varied cultural backgrounds. Furthermore, in today’s corporate world, effective communication can do wonders to a person’s career. Even as a student, I face various situations, such as interviews, presentations, meetings etc. where my personality is wholly judged by my gesticulations, expressions and words. In such situations, I believe, perfecting the art of communication becomes crucial for expressing my desired thoughts and feelings.

Since the human mind is mostly doubtful and sometimes cynical, it becomes one’s responsibility to ensure that the receiver is able to differentiate between sarcasm, humor, disappointment and gratitude. After all, any form of communication is said to be effective only if the sender and the receiver are in sync with the message being conveyed. As Murphy deduced -

“If a message can be understood in different ways, it will be understood in the way which does the most harm”.

Effective communication bridges all interpersonal voids and via this module (ES2007S – Professional Communication) I hope to enhance, if not perfect my communication skills.