Sidney Jourard Quotes

A collection of quotes by Sidney Jourard.

Sidney Jourard (1926-1974) was a Canadian-born American psychologist and author who made significant contributions to the field of interpersonal relationships and self-disclosure. He was born in Canada and later became a naturalized American citizen. Jourard completed his undergraduate studies at McGill University and earned his Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Florida.

Jourard's work focused on the importance of self-disclosure for emotional intimacy in relationships, emphasizing the need for individuals to reveal their inner feelings, thoughts, and desires to establish genuine connections with others. He believed that self-disclosure was a crucial element in fostering understanding and developing satisfying relationships.

Throughout his career, Jourard wrote several books on the topics of self-disclosure, body image, and human relationships. His best-known book, "The Transparent Self," published in 1964, addressed the importance of authenticity and openness in personal relationships. It remains a classic in the field of interpersonal psychology.

Aside from his writing, Jourard was a respected professor and lecturer, known for his dynamic teaching style and ability to engage students in discussions on deeply personal topics. His works and teachings have had a lasting impact on the study of psychology, particularly in the areas of self-disclosure and the significance of genuine connection in human relationships.

Sidney Jourard's contributions to the field of psychology continue to influence researchers and practitioners in understanding the dynamics of interpersonal relationships and the role of self-disclosure in fostering emotional intimacy.

Paradoxically, we fail to disclose ourselves to other people

Paradoxically, we fail to disclose ourselves to other people because we want so much to be loved. Because we feel that way we present ourselves as someone we think can be loved and accepted, and we conceal whatever would mar that image. Another reason we hide is to protect ourselves from change. . . Still another reason we don't disclose ourselves is that we were never taught how. . . Personal ambitions and economic pressures also give us powerful reasons for concealing what we really are. . . All of us hide behind the iron curtain of our public selves. . . Men hide what prevents them from seeming strong and masculine. . . Disclosure is so important (because) without it we really cannot know ourselves. Or to put it another way, we learn to deceive ourselves while we are trying to deceive others. For example, if I never express my sorrow, my love, my joy, I'll smother those feelings in myself until I almost forget they were once part of me.

Sidney Jourard

Love

We begin life with the world presenting itself to us as it i

We begin life with the world presenting itself to us as it is. Someone - our parents, teachers, analysts - hypnotizes us to see the world and construe it in the right way. These others label the world, attach names and give voices to the beings and events in it, so that thereafter, we cannot read the world in any other language or hear it saying other things to us. The task is to break the hypnotic spell, so that we become undeaf, unblind and multilingual, thereby letting the world speak to us in new voices and write all its possible meanings in the new book of our existence. Be careful in your choice of hypnotists.

Sidney Jourard

Growth