The punitive use of force tends to generate hostility and to reinforce resistance to the very behavior we are seeking.

If we don't tell people about our needs, it is much less likely they will be met.

Imagine connecting with the human spirit in each person in any situation at any time. Imagine interacting with others in a way that allows everyone's need to be equally valued. Imagine creating organizations and life-serving systems responsive to our needs and the needs of our environment.

What others do may be the stimulus of our feelings, but never the cause.

What all the basic religions are saying is this: Don't do anything that isn't play.

However impressed we may be with NVC concepts, it is only through practice and application that our lives are transformed.

Our ability to offer empathy can allow us to stay vulnerable, defuse potential violence, help us hear the word 'no' without taking it as a rejection, revive lifeless conversation, and even hear the feelings and needs expressed through silence.