RELATIONSHIPS Relationships and Speed We can learn a lot about relationships from the movie Speed. At the end of the movie, after the intense adventure is over, Officer Jack Traven (Keanu Reeves) and Annie Porter (Sandra Bullock) get together and, presumably, live happily ever after. They had never met before that fateful day they got on that bus, and yet fell in love by the time it was all over. Why? Psychologists have shown that when people share emotions—positive or 1 negative—they become closer together . In Speed, the shared emotions between Jack and Annie are mostly negative (stress, uncertainty, fear) and extreme (they might die), but ultimately bring them closer together. In the workplace, shared emotions with coworkers can be negative (stress, uncertainty, fear), and feel extreme (you might “literally die if you have 2 to go to another pre-meeting about an upcoming meeting” ). Sadly, those negative experiences may be the only relationship–building you do with your coworkers. But it doesn’t have to be that way. The emotions don’t have to be negative. You can share fun, happiness and joy in the office through humor. Levity can be a source of positive emotions shared between you and your team, cubicle mates, manager, and customers. 1 See Let the Good Times Roll. 2 I heard a coworker say this once. She did go to another pre–meeting but luckily she did not die. 60