Our Need for Boundaries (1)

Learn how to maintain your boundaries

As humans, we value our personal space. I saw this lesson demonstrated while participating in a class on cultural boundaries. Pairs from different nationalities were told to move closer and closer to one another until they became uncomfortable. In this way, we could quickly see where each one's personal boundaries stopped.

Emotional boundaries, though just as real, are harder to distinguish because they are invisible. Yet many medical experts insist that good boundaries are necessary for strong mental health.

What are boundaries?
Boundaries are conscious limits we set to guard against emotional harm.

These limits protect us from being manipulated or controlled by others. They also help us determine what kind of behavior, communication and interaction from others we will accept. How strong or weak our boundaries are will determine how healthy our relationships are.

Thinking of others
As important as our personal boundaries are, those of our friends and family members are equally important. In order to keep our relationships strong, we must also respect the boundaries set by the people closest to us.

Language Lab
boundary n.
/ˈbaʊndri/
something (such as a river, a fence, or an imaginary line) that shows where an area ends and another area begins
a point or limit that indicates where two things become different
- There's a blurry boundary between devotion to one's job and being a workaholic.
- Setting boundaries for children is crucial for any parent.

crucial adj.
extremely important

invisible adj.
impossible to see : not visible
- The submarine was designed to be invisible to radar.
被忽略的
- Clark feels invisible on his team.

manipulate v.
to deal with or control (someone or something) in a clever and usually unfair or selfish way
- Karen loves to manipulate the people around her to get what she wants.
to move or control (something) with your hands or by using a machine
- The toy dog is manipulated by sound.

interaction n.
to talk or do things with other people
- The games were designed to facilitate interaction among the trainees.
- There hasn't been much interaction between my supervisor and me.

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