180 Chapter 8 Personal Relationships Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. do your work for you. On the other hand, do not assume that you can get along without your coworkers. Most jobs are a team effort. If you show consideration to coworkers, they will be likely to cooperate with you. Benefits of Positive Relationships Positive relationships produce many benefi ts. Research has shown that relationships can affect a person’s physical and emotional well- being. People who maintain positive relationships have fewer physical illnesses. They are also less prone to diseases and tend to live longer. Their emotional well-being is enhanced because they know people care about them. They can share their problems and thereby reduce the stress of daily living. Positive relationships also provide social benefi ts. You are more likely to go places and get involved in activities when someone can join you. Your present relationships can serve as bridges to future relationships. Your social circle will expand as you meet new people. Economic well-being can be a benefi t of positive work relationships. People who relate well on the job are likely to enjoy their work. This will encourage them to stay on the job. They will increase their chances of being promoted and getting more pay raises. Qualities Needed for Positive Relationships As you read earlier, positive relationships do not happen automatically. Both people involved must work to develop key qualities that form the basis for positive relationships. These qualities include a positive self-concept, mutual respect, trust, openness, and reliability. Positive Self-Concept As you have read, a positive self-concept means that you see yourself as worthwhile. Confi dent people who care for others may anticipate that others will care for them in return. In addition, when others see that you think highly of yourself, they are likely to think highly of you as well. They may realize that they would enjoy forming a friendship with you. A positive self-concept usually results from positive feedback. Therefore, an important part of friendship is providing positive Serving Your Community Investigate local programs focused on encouraging and helping older adults who live alone to socialize with others. Research why these programs are so important. Ask about volunteer opportunities for teens. Healthy Living Friendships and Emotional Health Everyone needs friends. Positive friendships are important to emotional health. Characteristics of true friends include people • with whom you feel you can talk about anything • who make you feel peaceful just by being with them • with whom you can have fun—even when you are not doing anything special • to whom you can tell a secret and know it won’t get spread around • who understand and support you whether you’re feeling up or down Section 8-1 Developing Positive Relationships 181 Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. feedback to your friend. This will continue to help build your friend’s self-concept. At the same time, a true friend will do the same for you. Mutual Respect Mutual respect means each person regards the other with honor and esteem. People in positive relationships do not expect each other to agree on everything. Neither person tries to force an opinion or idea on the other. They respect each other’s right to differ. They respect each other for who they are. Building mutual respect between teens and adults is sometimes a challenge. Some teens feel threatened by the experience and maturity of adults. They think adults judge them unfairly. On the other hand, adults fear that teens believe adults are not in touch with current youth culture. Teens and adults both need to feel they are valued by one another. Teens can benefi t by seeking wisdom from adults. Likewise, adults can be inspired by the enthusiasm of youth. Such worthwhile exchanges can help teens and adults build mutual respect and develop positive relationships. Trust Trusting people means having confi dence in them. In a positive relationship, you must trust the other person. However, you must also prove that you are trustworthy. You must be careful not to betray the confi dence that is vested in you. You must be able to keep secrets. You must not laugh at friends who share serious concerns with you. You must not encourage others to participate in activities that are not in their best interests. Trust in a relationship can be fragile. If you give advice that backfi res, you may not be trusted in the future. When advice is sought, it may be better to help friends view situations from several different perspectives. Allow them to analyze the possible alternatives and choose their own plan of action. Openness Openness in a relationship refers to an atmosphere in which people feel free to share their thoughts and feelings. You must create this atmosphere for people with whom you relate. You must make them feel comfortable about opening up to you. You must also be willing to open up to others. No one can second- guess what you think or feel. People cannot meet your needs unless you tell them what your needs are. Reliability People in positive relationships must be reliable. If you say you will do something, people must be able to count on you to do it. If you say you will be somewhere, people must be able to depend on you to be there. 21st Century Skills Integrity. Monique works on confidential reports. She is careful not to share any of the information she knows with people outside of her company. Analyze and Solve List people in the community with whom you have developed or can develop positive relationships. Explain benefits that might come from networking with these people. Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Section 19-1 Clothing Needs 521 Many schools, especially private schools, require students to wear uniforms. The uniforms of exclusive schools often serve as symbols of prestige. Some public school systems require students to wear uniforms as an antiviolence measure. Wearing uniforms sends a message that all students belong to the same “team.” This results in less competition and more cooperation among “team members.” Uniforms keep fashion from being an issue so students can focus more on learning. Some groups do not have specifi c uniforms. However, they use certain colors or symbols to identify their members. For instance, members of sororities and fraternities often own garments with Greek letters representing the names of their organizations. Many people show group identity simply by yielding to the infl uence of their peers. Your peers form an informal group. By wearing the kinds of clothes your friends wear, you are showing you are a member of that group. Jeans and T-shirts are typical attire of many teen peer groups. 19-1 These uniforms are worn by students at a high school in the state of Washington. Life Skills Clothing for Special Needs Some people, such as older adults or people with disabilities, have special clothing needs. Older people may choose more casual, comfortable clothes for their daily activities. Easy care is another important factor. People with disabilities may want clothes that are stylish, yet easy to get on and off. Elastic waists and knit fabrics allow both comfort and ease of movement. People with physical limitations or low vision also need simple fasteners and larger openings. or p Jetta Productions/Photodisc/Getty Images viii Serving Your Community fosters concern, appreciation, and involvement with the community, emphasizing your role as a citizen. Analyze and Solve helps you develop problem-solving, critical-thinking, and decision-making skills. Healthy Living focuses on ways you can maintain a healthy lifestyle. Life Skills provides additional information that will help you develop life skills in a variety of areas. 21st Century Skills addresses qualities that lead to success in the workplace. Practical information helps prepare you for the future. Engaging special features add realism and interest to enhance learning in every chapter.