Previously, in Part 1 (), I shared a number of key patterns of interaction which I believe contribute to conflict going around and around in circles, without resolving. In what follows, I again name the key patterns from Part 1,…
[Not long ago, I told some friends that I perceived patterns of interaction being active which seemed to stimulate and perpetuate “vortices of conflict” which continue without resolution. They asked me to offer details. What follows is my response to…
Marshall Rosenberg wrote, “In our development toward a state of emotional liberation, most of us experience three stages in the way we relate to others.” He labeled these three stages as (1) “emotional slavery,” (2) “the obnoxious stage,” and (3)…
I’d like to share something that might help illuminate one aspect of some differences in views that I’ve been sensing in the NVC network. I have hope that this might also contribute to people’s journeys of learning and practicing NVC.…
A while ago, a colleague brought to my attention a essay comparing a communication practice called “Clean Talk” with Nonviolent Communication (NVC) in quite some detail. I was delighted to encounter this, because I think there is a lot to…
Practicing Nonviolent Communication (NVC) generally helps us connect to people instead of alienating them. Yet, as valuable as the insights of NVC are, without additional awareness, it’s still quite possible to inadvertently alienate, particularly when we speak to people who…
Human beings generally want to enjoy life and not suffer. Many traditions agree that these outcomes depend on how we relate to what we experience. “Focusing” is the name that philosopher Eugene Gendlin gave to an innate human capacity for…
[This essay originated as an answer to a question on the website Quora.com. While the questioner’s experience might seem unusual in some ways, the phenomenon is one that relates to how most people function. Addressing our inner voices is both…
Why can’t people just live peacefully with each other? “It’s human nature, so it’s inevitable” is NOT the answer. Human beings have a wide range of behaviors, which nature prepares us to be able to engage in. Humans can be…
In graduate school, I became an expert on lasers, devices that produce intense beams of exceptionally pure light. So, it’s only natural that I sometimes use lasers as metaphors for how our minds work. I find the metaphor useful in…