New Book Examines How Dissimilar
Opinions Can Positively Affect Relationships Equal but Different
by Paul Dennis Sporer  Similarity in habits and opinions, in order to bring about ease of relationship, is stressed in all cultures. Yet this desire for similarity can bring about problems if not balanced by a knowledge of and respect for individual differences. This book investigates key neglected psychological issues underlying the creation and maintenance of relationships. Upon first meeting, individuals pay attention to each other's beliefs about relationships and family life; however, these beliefs are significantly modified by formal education in such a way as to make them more congruent and homogeneous before marriage, and after marriage less so. In later stages, issues can become more concrete as more information is known and greater convergence is needed. The author has also discovered that migration and the modern economy are responsible for decreasing emphasis on personal sacrifice and the willingness to change, creating an emphasis on beliefs which assure group solidarity and not virtuous action. This in turn makes people more likely to be self-centered in their aims, depend too much on others for resources, and relinquish the need for constructive material dependence, all factors which weaken and degrade the marital relationship. Temperament, the container of innate individual habits, is actually the ultimate focus of people's interests, but since it is expressed within a social context, it is often hidden within a "character" or "personality". Thus, the understanding of temperamental aspects should be of critical importance in determining relationship structure. Equal but Different gives us an enlightened new perspective on the inner meaning of gender-connected personality traits and how such traits affect relations between men and women.
Paul Dennis Sporer is the author of several books, including Liberating Love; Dimensions of Companionship; Equal but Different; and The Concept of Family. He has also written many articles, and has edited more than 30 books, including Gentle Measures, by Jacob Abbott; Views of Old Europe, by Bayard Taylor; The French at Home, by Albert Rhodes. Available Soon!
Additional Resources:
Click here for more information on Paul Dennis Sporer
|
