Why is Interpersonal Connection Important?

Human beings need each other to survive. No, not in a cannibalistic way; this is not that type of blog.

All right, I bet you are wondering where this is going. Before you look below, we can tell you that interpersonal connection sets the foundation for who you are, which might have led you to our blog. That's right! Let's find out more.

• Human beings need a network to survive.

• Promotes self-worth and identity.

• Human development evolves as we age.

Network

Movies like The Social Network and Mean Girls are examples of why, as humans, we thrive on social connection. It is much more complex in the real world. However, the scenarios in these movies identify interesting paradoxical issues. Our network is more powerful than we realize.

Social influence is common and can show up in many forms. Conformity, compliance, obedience, persuasion, leadership, sales, and social impact surround us. So, what makes our network so powerful? Our attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors can mimic our network. The more we learn how to connect with people in our network and understand our own beliefs compared to theirs, the more likely we are to contribute independent thought to the group.

Let's be honest; we need others to thrive. The question is, who are those other people, and what do they do for your network? Our posts will grapple with these questions and more.

Self-worth and identity

Discovering these takes time, and our ideas about them will fluctuate as we age. When you were young, what did your parents say to you? Is that a belief or simply good advice?

Self-worth and identity are typically based on a system of beliefs. While our blog posts will touch on beliefs specifically if our readers want us to, we like to help readers identify tools for better connection regarding understanding one's self-worth or identity and how it relates to the world around us. Connection can be limited if self-worth or identity are not well defined. While things can be fluid and are not set traits, learning is less likely to happen when we are challenged and our beliefs are questioned. So, we ask, do our self-worth and identity define our beliefs?

Our self-worth or identity typically identifies our network. The people we connect with show commonalities in one or both areas. That's the easy part. When our identity is challenged or our self-worth is questioned, it could take more to understand the opposing views sent our way. How do we approach this? Well, with curiosity. When we approach different points of view with curiosity, we allow ourselves to open up to the possibility of shifting our perspective. Thus, growth is allowed to happen. Scary as it may be, connection cannot occur without it. Let's jump in!

Human Development

That is why we are all here, yeah? Ok good. Connection is a part of human development. From the beginning, human beings have been unable to thrive without connection. Our growth is dependent on it. Every human had a mother, father, or caretaker to get them to adulthood. If only we could be like sea turtles and go out on our own to survive as soon as we hatch. (They have a one in a thousand chance of surviving to adulthood. So that may be a bad example. But you get the idea.) The point is that we need to connect with others to survive. As we grow, that connection has implications we are still learning about. We know how to express emotions, health habits, perspectives, values, etc. These change over time; some assimilate to what we've been taught, and some rebel. Why? There are various reasons; let's discuss them in our blogs!

Like this post and want to find more? Check out our website for additional resources or tools to connect with yourself or those you love.