What is Self Disclosure?
Self Disclosure relates to how visible you make your thoughts, feelings, opinions and ideas. Those who can steer make the right calls when to be high, or low, self disclosing.
Imagine you have a front and back stage, like a theatre.
Those with a bias toward low Self-Disclosure manage & control what they present to the audience on their front stage.
Those with a bias toward high Self-Disclosure consciously or unconsciously open the curtain to reveal what’s going on behind it.
Which contexts does it work best in?
Low Self-Disclosure is important when holding confidences, deepening one’s self-reflective skills and sharing with just a trusted individual rather than wider audience.
High Self-Disclosure is important when reaching out for help, building openness and trust with others and expressing ideas or opinions convincingly.
What are the risks?
Individuals with fixed biases towards low Self- Disclosure risk becoming emotionally isolated, developing a different front and back stage persona, unable to receive support.
Individuals with fixed biases towards high Self- Disclosure risk becoming impulsive, socially inappropriate and developing shallow, unreflective relationships.