To create meaningful relationships, you need to have self-disclosure. Self-disclosure is the act of sharing personal information with someone else that they wouldn’t otherwise know. It helps us make meaningful relationships with others when used with empathy. The cartoon ‘Bring Your Baggage To Work Day’ is a great example of this idea, despite it’s ironic take on the concept. The cartoon depicts someone unloading his personal struggles like family issues and self-worth at his workplace. It shows that everyone has struggles, and that we can come to a place of understanding and support if we share it.

Self-disclosure can differ from topics like hobbies to deeper dreams and fears. As relationships with others grow, the things shared between people become more personal. It’s also important that the sharing isn’t one-sided – when the sharing is balanced between people, even deeper connections can be fostered. For example, if one friend discloses a personal experience and you’ve had a similar experience, you both can bond even more.

The Johari Window model shows self-disclosure through four areas: what’s known to us and others, what others see but we don’t, what we hide, and the unknown. Having a better understanding of these four aspects of self-disclosure can help us decide what to share and when. This also applies in every day life. For example, coworkers sharing their favorite hobbies can strengthen bonds between them if they find that they’re similar. When we engage in self-disclosure, it can turn our vulnerabilities to strengths.

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