Introduction
The movie begins with an obsession of Pat wanting to get back to the life he used to live. "Silver linings playbook" focuses on Pats life with bipolar but yet to be diagnosed for it. To rebuild his life back, Pat moves back to his parents' house after losing his job, wife, and spending some time in a mental hospital. In between the happening of these events, he meets with tiffany. She also has a share of her psychological problems. The primary focus of this essay will be on five critical interpersonal communications include self-disclosure, self-image, communication climate, cultural connections and emotion. Self-disclosure is a communication process where a person reveals specific types of communication to others about themselves. Self-image is encompassing, personality, appearance, and abilities of a person perceived by themselves. Communication climate is factors that determine how effectively on ineffectively an intended communication will be passed or seen. Cultural connection entails how two different or the same people with distinct backgrounds can sync with each other. And emotions refer to a feeling of substantial magnitude derived mainly from the relationship one has with other people. The discussion will primarily focus on pat, which is the main character while depiction the various interpersonal communication concepts. The unique feature of Pats personality will be very important in helping us to understand the multiple concepts, especially his inability to listen to others, his gap when it comes to empathy, and how he handles the distinct relationship with Nikki and tiffany. How key factors like love family functions can easily affect how one relates to another person. The essay will delve into five concepts of interpersonal communication; self-disclosure, self-image, communication climate, cultural connections, and emotions in relation to silver linings playbook.
Emotions
Pat's persona comprises of many different types of emotions blended in together. Throughout the entire movie, it can be seen that he did not look at any point exhibit any kind of primary feeling, but when he does so, he is in his natural stoic state. It can be shown when pat remembers how Nikki cheated on him with another man. He expresses very many types of emotions at the same time; for example; there was an expression of surprise and confusion on why Nikki decided to cheat on him using their wedding song. Sadness was directed to his wife on why she cheated on him and anger towards the man who was cheating with his wife. The condition of the part that is bipolar disorder; causes him to have depression and manic at the same time consistently. The nature of his outburst shows it, and the need from him always to have things done his way. Pat is an individual who will not use one emotion to show his feeling. Instead, he uses a blend of emotions to be able to bring out his needs and feeling. No matter what he feels, his state of bipolar makes him have a conglomeration of hot emotions' he is angry he is on the extreme when he is happy. He is on the other height. Cold and hot empathy was shown in the movie after pat read the book by Hemingway. He stormed his parents' room with warm emotion on why the book ended the way it did, but instead, his parents remained cool despite being woken up at night.
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Listening
In interpersonal communication, listening plays an integral part. Listening entails more than what meets the eye because our brain has to go through various stages to be able to respond appropriately. By doing, so, conversations flow seamlessly while the conversers have a deeper understanding of each other's thinking. For pat, he lacks many of the processes entailed in listening. Even though he is a good listener, evaluation, processing, and remembering are a bit difficult for him. At the dinner party hosted by Ronnie and his wife, it was revealed that the husband to tiffany had died recently. Ronnie requested pat top as much as possible to avoid the subject he gets the information passed but immediately forgets and asks tiffany how Tommy died. This is a clear indication of how the listening process was incomplete in pats head, thus doing what he was previously cautioned on. Lack of such a crucial step in listening would result in many people being offended by pats action, as we can see in tiffany. Pats also exhibit defensive listening as he insists on his life getting back to the way it was, but the truth which others know is that it can never be the same. Despite those that care for him telling him it is illogical to go back to his previous life. He takes this criticism personally by claiming this is the things that people ant to bring him down with. He goes into a rage because he views this as a personal attack directed towards him.
Self-disclosure
Self-disclosure is a communication process where a person reveals a specific type of information to others about themselves. This is shown through the concept of denial. The obsessive love of pat towards Nikki blinded him shows him that the two need always to be by each other's side rather than understanding that each other has their own life. Pat lacked self-disclosure, and, in many instances, he perceived them when done by others as personal attacks to him. Through his inability to communicate to others what he was feeling, he had anger issues that led him into eating the history teachers to a near-death situation. He was going around telling everyone that they were still together, and at o instance, can he afford to cheat on Nikki. Due to lack of self-disclosure, he could come forward and tell others that hm and Nikki had parted ways. He clanged to the fact that the two were still together. Despite even Nikki filing a restraining order, this did not hinder pat from pursuing her. Nikki, on her part, exhibited an excellent state of self-disclosure when he told part that he was no longer interested in him, and his pursuit of him was futile. In the dates of pat and tiffany, they disclosed to each other what they went through when each of their partners left them was easy for them to have this conversation without any awkwardness since they were in the same situation. This was an indication that they had some kind of feeling towards each other, and they were figuring this out. Self-disclosure creates some sort of intimacy in a conversation. In interpersonal communication disclosing certain critical statements to others helps in easing the communication process to pat, he lacks this essential element.
Self-image
Self-image is encompassing, personality, appearance, and abilities of a person perceived by themselves. In interpersonal communication, self-mage is very important as in many instances; people fall in love with this at first. When pat left the mental hospital, he lost his wife and job. He decided to work on himself so that he can regain all that he had lost. Because of his obsessive love towards pat, he decided to change himself physically completely and emotionally so that she can be pleased with him, and they could live together and be happy again. By trying to make his image look good and gain the support of others, she went around telling people of how good he is, and he cannot cheat on Nikki with anyone. Pat Sr made it his responsibility to ensure that after leaving the hospital, pat was made aware that this was different from what it was, and it could not be reverted. To tarnish her self-image so that pat could despise and leave him, Nikki, when to great length as far as cheating on him with another man. But even as so self-image of Nicki cheating in him did not hinder pat from pursuing her further. Self-image did not matter to pat.
Cultural Connections
Cultural connection entails how two different or the same people with distinct backgrounds can sync with each other. This is well shown in the pats family who are from Philadelphia and take pride in watching the eagles play. The jersey worn by pat at Ronnie’s dinner party of DeShawn Jackson was an indication of how he admired Eagles' players. It was known by pat Sr. Instead of pat Sr encouraging him to get on track in getting his old life back, he invites him to sit down and watch the eagle's game which is an extended family tradition and through this the bonded. Pat Sr is seen to try and use this tradition of them to help pat with recovering with bipolar disorder, but for pat, it puts him under a lot of pressure. Through a cultural connection in the pat’s family, they can hold pats plan of revisiting his past peers for a while.
Conclusion
In totality pats, interpersonal communication skills are wanting, and this was as a result of his illogical perception that thing will return to normal. There are three key lessons that I have taken from the movie; First listening creates a bond in a conversation, and it is essential to pay attention to. It is critical to process and remember to avoid being disrespectful in the social world. By not paying attention, pat did not realize that Nikki was falling apart from him as he thought they were still together. It is essential for one t to understand their self-image and personality. By following this, one will be able to quickly know what is right and wrong about them to rectify and become better in society. The cultural connection is essential as, from this, one can bond with their close family friends. It Is imperative in life to understand what can be regained and what to let go of. Understanding interpersonal communication is vital to avoid instances of misunderstood communication. It is crucial o now what someone is communicating.
Reference
Silver linings playbook. (n.d).
