Answer:

Self-disclosure is an important part of communication – it involves intentionally revealing personal information about ourselves to other people. It can be an effective way to foster a deeper connection with someone, build trust, and build better relationships.

In order for self-disclosure to be effective, it must meet three specific criteria. Those criteria are that it must be deliberate, significant, and not known by others.

For something to be deliberate, it must be done on purpose. We must be willing to give up personal information and we must understand the consequences of doing so. We should always have some thought as to what we are disclosing, why we are disclosing it, and if that disclosure is appropriate in the context of the relationship.

For something to be significant, it must be meaningful to us. We should disclose information that is important to us or is likely to lead to a better understanding of ourselves. We should also take into account the other person’s feelings when deciding what is significant.

Finally, for something to be not known by others, it must be unique. We should disclose information that the other person does not already know. This means that we can’t just tell the other person something that everyone else knows; we need to make sure that the information we share is special and different.

With these three criteria in mind, it is easy to see that effective self-disclosure involves being intentional, sharing meaningful information that is unique to us, and understanding the consequences of what we are sharing.