Reply 1 HSCO 508

Reply 1 HSCO 508

Kirk Cameron’s film “Fire Proof” revealed several concepts I learned in this course. The first concept I detected in the film was Petersen’s (2007) Flat-Brain Theory of Emotions, along with flat-brain syndrome, and flat-brain tango. The theory suggests that although there is a difference between a feeling and a thought, they significantly affect one another (p. 10). For example, early in the film we find Captain Caleb Holt and his wife, Catherine, spewing heated words, but not actually listening to each other. They were both guilty of verbal defense and attack maneuvers, symptomatic of people with flat-brain syndrome doing the flat-brain tango. According to Petersen (2007), these symptoms (i.e., expanded stomachs, hard hearts, and flattened brains) impede our ability to communicate well with others (p. 23). Worse yet, it is highly contagious when you are exposed to it. In the midst of a flat-brain tango (i.e., heated argument), Catherine’s self-image was shattered when Caleb called her selfish, causing her to experience an “identity quake” (Stewart, 2012, p. 93). According to Stewart (2012), an identity quake can knock one off balance, forcing one to question his/her own identity, “Am I competent?” “Am I a good person?” “Am I worthy?” (p. 93). In addition, Caleb’s pornography addiction caused Catherine to question her self-worth. Stewart (2012) suggests, “self-disclosure is based on self-awareness, self-acceptance, and taking the risk of revealing yourself to others” and “self-presentation is the process by which we try to shape what others think of us and what we think of ourselves” (p. 215). I think Caleb’s poor communication/relational style with his wife, parents, and friends skewed the way he saw himself. So, although Caleb saw himself as a hero, a rescuer, a good person that deserved respect, others saw Caleb as good at his job, but unable to open up. Caleb’s acts of love and unselfishness, demonstrated his desire to change, reveal himself, and improve his relational style with his wife, family, and friends. Although Catherine initially had an intense desire to divorce Caleb, thanks to the change in Caleb, she managed to answer those identity questions, and thereby ground her own identity.

References Petersen, J. C. (2007). Why don’t we listen better? Communicating & connecting in relationships. Tigard, OR: Petersen Publications. Stewart, J. (2012). Bridges not walls: A book about interpersonal communication (11th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Publishing Company

 

Is this the question you were looking for? If so, place your order here to get started!