Every criticism, judgment, diagnosis, and expression of anger is the tragic expression of an unmet need.
Marshall B. RosenbergWhen we understand the needs that motivate our own and others behavior, we have no enemies.
Marshall B. RosenbergThe intention behind the protective use of force is to prevent injury, never to punish or to cause individuals to suffer, repent or change.
Marshall B. RosenbergOur 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.
Marshall B. RosenbergTo do this, you can bring in nothing from the past. So the more psychology you've studied, the harder it will be to empathize. The more you know the person, the harder it will be to empathize. Diagnoses and past experiences can instantly knock you off the board. This doesn't mean denying the past. Past experiences can stimulate what's alive in this moment. But are you present to what was alive then or what the person is feeling and needing in this moment?
Marshall B. Rosenberg