James C. Petersen : The Flat-Brain Theory Of Emotions

Throughout our whole lives, we spend the majority of our time communicating in some way or form. Many people in today’s society are uninformed of all the key concepts and importance of communication, such as interpersonal communication. One major concept in the field of communication is Interpersonal Communication. Many concepts of Communication can be demonstrated in everyday life or even in our favorite movies. This analysis is from the movie, “Blind Side”. There are many concepts of Interpersonal Communication included in this film. Self Concept, Self Esteem, Stereotype, Perception, and Stages of Relationship are just a few concepts that are utilized throughout this movie.

The pillow method in interpersonal communication is a situation that has four sides to it and to the approaches that can be given to that particular situation. Here, there is no single definite correct answer, but each of the four views that can be given, as will be discussed herein, is correct. The four approaches are normally I'm Right, You are Wrong, then You are Right, I'm Wrong, then Both Right, Both Wrong and finally It Isn't Important Which Position is Right or Wrong. This indicates the complexity behind interpersonal communication and how a simple conflict in communication or situation can take widely varied angles.

In society today, we encounter various types of interpersonal communication. We all must understand the balance and the outcomes communication provides, nonetheless, helps us improve in our own relationships. In David Russell's’ film, “ Silver Linings Playbook” the main character, Pat, is trying to rebuild his life and his marriage, all while having a mental disorder. By using the film and my own daily interactions in my life, I will be using terms and concepts to be able to analyze communication styles that are effective and ineffective.

During this week’s assignment, Peterson (2015) tackles critical components of listening skills. The listening component that I find myself needing to work on is that of not defending what I perceive as attacks against my character during my interactions both with co-workers and family. Naturally, if I am devoting my thoughts to responding or defending my actions, how can I be effectively listening? In addition, when counteracting a statement with a defensive posture or verbal cues, it insights the other individual to feel attacked, resulting in a vicious cycle of both parties being defensive and no one listening or understanding one another (Peterson, 2015).

I would like to take this time to congratulate you both on your engagement. I would like to also thank you in advance for allowing me to share with you some information that will enhance your communication with one another. It is truly a gift to understand each other, learning together how to understand the principles of effective interpersonal communications, to recognize the different barriers and demonstrate the roles of emotional intelligence appropriately. As life changes, so will your communication. You will become familiar with on how important communication is in developing and maintain one’s self-concept, self-image, and self-esteem. “Communication is a process, which means that your goals might change over the course of an interaction or that a new

Communication is the interaction between individuals that allows us to deliver and receive information, thoughts and feelings. Communication can be seen to have three components: verbal (spoken words), non-verbal (body language) and paralinguistic (tone and pitch of spoken words) (Mehrabian 1981). This shows the complexity of communication in that variance in one ‘component’ could potentially alter or distort the desired meaning being conveyed to the recipient. Similarly Arnold, Undermann Bogss (2015) states that communication could be seen to be a combination of verbal and non-verbal actions being used in unison to exchange and strengthen ideas or share life experiences through means of posture, spoken words or personal symbolism.

From an early age, one learns how to communicate with others by engaging in his or her own personal development. These interpersonal styles become valuable to an individual. For instance, one learns from his or her parents how to exercise manners. Over the years, I have acquired interpersonal skills from my family, education, and employment that has proven to be quite beneficial. However, as a human, being perfect is quite difficult. Despite, the strengths that one may possess, weaknesses are also present.

In the article, “Communication: Its Blocking and Its Facilitation” by Carl R, Rogers, a psychotherapist who wrote a book without being a teacher of writing, asserted that psychotherapy will create guidance towards failures of communication and can improve communication between people. Rogers declared that the foremost barrier to be beneficial towards the interpersonal communication is one examining from their perspective. But the barrier can be eliminated if the people stop judging other people’s ideas , opinions without analyzing the other person’s point of view meaning putting themselves in a person 's situation. In fact, he briefly acknowledges the complication of communication towards the people but also provides diverse ways to improve our communication, mainly when contributors are known to support their role. Also, valor is known to be listening compassionately, meaning one extensive towards the risks of changing. In this issue, Rogers elucidates the indifference towards caring about the third party that can improve the adversary achieving mutual understanding by encouraging them as partners to resolve problems, instead of being foes and holding a grudge. Moreover, as social scientist, there is

Dr. Petersen has called The Flat Brain Theory of Emotions. “It explains how our emotions, thinking and relating abilities work and how what goes inside us comes out in the ways we communicated and act.” (Petersen, 2007, p. 8) And without doubt that this is precisely the basis not only for a great communication, but is also related to a great listening.

In the book, “Why Don’t We Listen Better?” written by James C. Petersen (2007), the author emphasizes the need of becoming better listeners and as a result improving ones’ communication skills. Listening for instance, involves more than just hearing another person talk; on the contrary, it has to do with escaping ones’ thoughts and opinions and providing a safe, nonjudgmental or accusatory environment where the other person feels free to express themselves and be heard. Petersen presents a pictorial of his interpretation of ones' effective communication skills represented through the body: the stomach, the heart, and the brain in which each represents communication when done productively and when it is not (pp. 11-12). The stomach represents

Questioning “why?” or “how?” people behave the way they do captivates me. I first remember questioning human behaviour whilst watching a TV show on Nazi Germany. I was struck by how most German citizens were highly supportive of Hitler’s views and they appeared to be unresponsive to the brutality towards the Jews. This all began to make sense to me when I started my A level Psychology course by gaining an insight of social influence, which described theories like obedience to authority, shown through Milgram’s shock experiments. This helped me realise why Germans conformed to legitimate authority. I wish to explore the psychological world further, especially abnormal psychology, at university.

If I use Peterson’s (2015) advice then if I change my negative thinking into healthy thoughts then it will have a encouraging influence on my emotional schemes, which in turns will change my actions (p 22-23). Peterson’s (2015) concept of handling my “thud” feelings to diminish myself from the Flat-Brain tango during my interpersonal communication was helpful in helping me see that my defensiveness I display when I feel the “thud” emotions is not only making the situation worse, but it also makes me not hear the other person nor allows them to hear me (p

The purpose of life, to some degree, is to seek happiness and to seek out other people to achieve that happiness. Sigmund Freud developed this idea, which is known as the pleasure principle, claiming to explain that the human consciousness and subconsciousness revolve around this idea. If someone is isolated, then they will try to alleviate that suffering in one way or another. Human emotion is reduced to extremely simple terms, unlike what they truly are, which is extremely complex. The idea of reducing humans to such a simple understanding seems unfair, but it carries a sense of truth to it. Every person on Earth is seeking for pleasure, and it carries truth because no person appreciates the feeling of unpleasantness. Isolation is a defense method against the world to seek pleasure and to avoid unpleasant feelings in life. Freud believes that everyone attempts to get away from things that cause us pain and suffering and that everyone feels suffering as a result of society, but the way people attempt to alleviate this suffering defines us as a person.

While there were theories surrounding the human system of emotions as was aforementioned, these concepts were still known to be speculative, and the inner workings of the human body as a whole remained enigmatic for centuries. Therefore the notion that any one person could harbor the ability to sway the passions that were supposedly dictated by humours, which were believed to be stagnant and involuntary, was mysterious and menacing. Roach encapsulates the fantastical and suspicious perception of actors as held by those of the pneumatic ideal,

Various types of theories have been established throughout history to help analyze social behavior in both animals and people. Psychologists use the six main perspectives to better rationalize human behavior and motivation: these perspectives are (but not limited to) the biological, social-cultural, cognitive, developmental, psychodynamic, and behavioral perspectives. These approaches helps psychologists and individuals further their understanding of social behavior and inner emotion.