The Book Interrupted women discuss “Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life” by Marshall B. Rosenberg; tools to communicate and empathize; and the limitations of NVC, including potential ways it can be used in bad faith. After a debate about whether they should empathize with people they think are doing hateful or abusive things, they finish with each naming their primary need/s.

Discussion Points:

The many ways to communicate, understanding the person, and sharing our needs
Using NVC to communicate between parents and children
How to not feel responsible for other people’s feelings, but still help people fulfill their needs
How people who show love by doing can create a codependency
The limitations of NVC: the importance of choosing who you use NVC with, do both people need to know these skills for this to work, and how NVC can be used in bad faith to manipulate others
Should you empathize with people you think are doing hateful or abusive things?
What are your primary needs?

Mentioned on this episode of Book Interrupted:

Book Interrupted Website

Book Interrupted YouTube Channel

Book Interrupted Facebook Book Club Group

Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life: Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships by Marshall B. Rosenberg

Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity By Kim Scott