Interpersonal Crash

Interpersonal communication is "the process of exchanging messages, usually between two   people, to create and share meaning" (Sole, 2011). The movie "Crash" shows numerous examples of interpersonal conflicts between different characters in which all are interlocked with another. This paper will identify one of the interpersonal conflicts of many that was poorly handled, and   how it could have been dealt with in a different way. Conversation is an important part of connecting with others and forming relationships. It is the way things are said verbally or non verbally to how an individual will react or decide to form a relationship with another.

    The character named Anthony is constantly struggling trying to prove that everyone is stereotyping black people. His constant complaining about stereotyping shows how low his self esteem is to worry about what other people think. In the beginning he talks about how a waitress acted towards them by stereotyping. "That waitress sized us up in two seconds. We are black and black people don't tip, so she wasn't wasting her time. Now somebody like that, there is nothing you can do to change their mind" (Haggis, 2004). Anthony non verbally self disclosed a side of him that reveals that he also stereotypes individuals.

    It seems like he struggles with a personal issue of being black and being ashamed of who he is, he non verbally is reaching out for acceptance by the way he talks, what he talks about and his body language with such anger. He seems to reach out for empathy from his friend who has a hard hard time putting himself in Anthony's shoes of his feelings. The friendship that they have makes Peter feel comfortable enough to disclose his feelings about the racially motivated comments from Anthony.

    Later in the movie Anthony makes a generalized statement about a white couple walking down the street that was incorrect at the time. He bases his comments and actions on the body language of the couple he...