The Lack Of Communication In Communication

-it’s obvious that communication is important in all relationships. Regardless of the fact, I question whether it is possible to have successful friendships when there is a lack of communication, and to what extent. I found interest in this topic in particular because according to my own personal experiences, solid and stable long-term friendships are hard to come by without communication, more specifically self-disclosure. Because I, for one, struggle with the idea of emotional intimacy and tend to avoid discussing personal information about myself, I also question if my lack of self disclosure is a significant contribution to my limited amount of developed friendships. Upon research, Some Things are Better Left Unsaid II: Topic Avoidance in Friendships an Article by Walid A. Afifi and Laxtra K. Guerrero, From Coworkers to Friends: The Development of Peer Friendships in the Workplace an article written by Patricia M. Sias and

The way same-sex female friendships communicate differs tremendously from same-sex male friendships. While women were more dependent on disclosure to strengthen their relationship, men more so valued the shared activities together. In an early study, “more than 75% of men surveyed said that their most meaningful experiences came from doing things together” (Swain, 1989). While research by Holmstrom (2009) says that “Whereas both men and women value friends who provide emotional support, women are generally more skilled at doing so and are more likely to seek out female friends when they need this type of support.” This isn’t to say that males don’t disclose about themselves and only women do, just that generally, both genders differ when it comes to developing their friendships. In Cross-sex friendships, there are limits to the communication that may hinder the development of intimacy, or more so restrict it. While there may be benefits for both