Nonviolent Communication (NVC) is a tool that helps us re-perceive our relationship with ourselves and with others through human needs rather than blame & judgments. The intention in this new perception is to create a quality of connection and mutual understanding where we are inspired to contribute to one another and to contribute in solidarity to the common mission. It is a connection that nurtures trust, empathy and authenticity.
The potency of NVC is in its pragmatic simplicity. In any moment, there are two ways to enhance connection & understanding: (1) vulnerably express our own feelings & needs, or (2) empathically listen to the feelings & needs of the other. These are radically different choices than we are accustomed to experience when we are in conflict: namely, fight, submit or flee.
While simple, NVC is often challenging to embody because we are so deeply conditioned to perceive each other through judgments. With practice, the tool of NVC helps us navigate within ourselves to transform blame & judgment--where neither our own needs nor those of the other person are likely to be met--into a mutual awareness of human needs.
What NVC is NOT ...
- NVC is not about being nice; it's about being real.
- It's not about stifling intensity, but transforming it.
- NVC is not about changing other people or getting them to do what we want. It's about creating connection & understanding.
- NVC
is not a technique or formula. It's a process that helps guide our
consciousness to a new awareness.
The Center for Nonviolent Communication
Marshall Rosenberg developed Nonviolent Communication and founded the Center for Nonviolent Communication in 1984 to support the people and communities that choose to learn and use this process of connecting to people. For more information about NVC, you may want to contact the Center for Nonviolent Communication, http://www.cnvc.org.
