The Terminal Relationships

Being involved in positive relationships has been scientifically proven to help you live a longer and happier life, but having toxic or no relationships can be harmful to your health and possibly lead to an early death. Relationships develop us as human beings. They grant us knowledge, mental and physical growth, as well as an opinion on the present world and the past. In the film, The Terminal, director Steven Spielberg portrays the idea that relationships play a role in our perspective of the world through giving us either confidence or insecurity, by prompting us to treat people in either a kind or rude manner, and by giving us an optimistic or pessimistic worldview.

In the film, it is evident that relationships can grant us either confidence

Viktor suffered the most in their relationship, as he was treated so poorly by Dixon that he tried to avoid him by staying out of his way and never breaking a rule. But when they were forced to interact—especially after Viktor had learned English better—Viktor often kept quiet, hunched his shoulders, and kept diverting his eyes away from Frank. When we have to face the person that torments us in a relationship, that is when our more insecure side reveals itself. We are too afraid to go up against them as we keep a quiet voice, poor posture, and try to do everything they ask to keep them from getting angry. They are often emotional abusers and manipulators, trying to make us say and believe terrible things about ourselves and what we stand for—just like when Dixon was trying to convince Viktor to say that he was afraid of his own home, which is an example of an allusion as he is referring to a place that is vital for the film. Whatever self doubt they inflict upon us will take a massive toll in the future, as it transforms into a festering insecurity that could potentially affect us in the long run. Having trouble establishing healthy relationships, becoming candidates for paranoia, and being emotionally over sensitive are just some of the many downsides that insecurity comes with. Every human being has been granted confidence and pushed into insecurity by a relationship

They always expect the worst from everyone around them. Their mind shapes other people to be liars and enemies even if their intentions are good. They will always believe that people are out to get them. Those with pessimism are often influenced by their parents or relatives from an early age. The older they become, it’s usually friends and the internet that influence, shape, and encourage their pessimistic worldview. Many people in today’s society are incredibly pessimistic, and often view the famous glass of water as ‘half full’, just as Frank Dixon