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Marshall B. Rosenberg QUOTES

Marshall B. Rosenberg QUOTES

1 " You can't make your kids do anything. All you can do is make them wish they had. And then, they will make you wish you hadn't made them wish they had. "

― Marshall B. Rosenberg

2 " Every criticism, judgment, diagnosis, and expression of anger is the tragic expression of an unmet need. "

― Marshall B. Rosenberg

3 " Peace requires something far more difficult than revenge or merely turning the other cheek; it requires empathizing with the fears and unmet needs that provide the impetus for people to attack each other. Being aware of these feelings and needs, people lose their desire to attack back because they can see the human ignorance leading to these attacks; instead, their goal becomes providing the empathic connection and education that will enable them to transcend their violence and engage in cooperative relationships. "

― Marshall B. Rosenberg , Speak Peace in a World of Conflict: What You Say Next Will Change Your World

4 " All violence is the result of people tricking themselves into believing that their pain derives from other people and that consequently those people deserve to be punished. "

― Marshall B. Rosenberg , Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life

5 " We only feel dehumanized when we get trapped in the derogatory images of other people or thoughts of wrongness about ourselves. As author and mythologist Joseph Campbell suggested, "'What will they think of me?' must be put aside for bliss." We begin to feel this bliss when messages previously experienced as critical or blaming begin to be seen for the gifts they are: opportunities to give to people who are in pain. "

― Marshall B. Rosenberg , Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life

6 " Anger is a result of life-alienating thinking that is disconnected from needs. It indicates that we have moved up to our head to analyze and judge somebody rather than focus on what we are needing and not getting. "

― Marshall B. Rosenberg , Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life

7 " If I use empathy to liberate people to be less depressed, to get along better with their family, and at the same time not inspire them to use their energy to rapidly transform systems in the world, then I am part of the problem. I am essentially calming people down, making them happier to live in the systems as they are, and I am using empathy as a narcotic. "

― Marshall B. Rosenberg

8 " Anger is a result of life alienated thinking that is disconnected from needs. It indicates that we have moved up to our head to analyse and judge somebody rather than focus on which of our needs is not being met "

― Marshall B. Rosenberg , Nonviolent Communication: Create Your Life, Your Relationships, and Your World in Harmony with Your Values by Marshall B. Rosenberg, Sounds True

9 " Anger is a result of life alienated thinking that is disconnected from needs. It indicates that we have moved up to our head to analyse and judge somebody rather than focus on which of our needs is not being met. "

― Marshall B. Rosenberg , Nonviolent Communication: Create Your Life, Your Relationships, and Your World in Harmony with Your Values by Marshall B. Rosenberg, Sounds True

10 " What I want in my life is compassion, a flow between myself and others based on a mutual giving from the heart. "

― Marshall B. Rosenberg , Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life

11 " At the core of all anger is a need that is not being fulfilled. "

― Marshall B. Rosenberg , Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life

12 " We are dangerous when we are not conscious of our responsibility for how we behave, think, and feel. "

― Marshall B. Rosenberg , Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life

13 " My theory is that we get depressed because we’re not getting what we want, and we’re not getting what we want because we have never been taught to get what we want. Instead, we’ve been taught to be good little boys and girls and good mothers and fathers. If we’re going to be one of those good things, better get used to being depressed. Depression is the reward we get for being “good.” But, if you want to feel better, I’d like you to clarify what you would like people to do to make life more wonderful for you. "

― Marshall B. Rosenberg , Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life

14 " Words Are Windows (or They’re Walls)
I feel so sentenced by your words,
I feel so judged and sent away,
Before I go I’ve got to know,
Is that what you mean to say?
Before I rise to my defense,
Before I speak in hurt or fear,
Before I build that wall of words,
Tell me, did I really hear?
Words are windows, or they’re walls,
They sentence us, or set us free.
When I speak and when I hear,
Let the love light shine through me.

There are things I need to say,
Things that mean so much to me,
If my words don’t make me clear,
Will you help me to be free?
If I seemed to put you down,
If you felt I didn’t care,
Try to listen through my words,
To the feelings that we share.
-–Ruth Bebermeyer "

― Marshall B. Rosenberg

15 " Analyses of others are actually expressions of our own needs and values "

― Marshall B. Rosenberg

16 " To practice the process of conflict resolution, we must completely abandon the goal of getting people to do what we want. "

― Marshall B. Rosenberg

17 " peace cannot be built on the foundations of fear. "

― Marshall B. Rosenberg , Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life

18 " As we’ve seen, all criticism, attack, insults, and judgments vanish when we focus attention on hearing the feelings and needs behind a message. The more we practice in this way, the more we realize a simple truth: behind all those messages we’ve allowed ourselves to be intimidated by are just individuals with unmet needs appealing to us to contribute to their well-being. When we receive messages with this awareness, we never feel dehumanized by what others have to say to us. We only feel dehumanized when we get trapped in derogatory images of other people or thoughts of wrongness about ourselves. As "

― Marshall B. Rosenberg , Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life

19 " Analyses of others are actually expressions of our own needs and values. "

― Marshall B. Rosenberg , Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life

20 " When we are in contact with our feelings and needs, we humans no longer make good slaves and underlings. "

― Marshall B. Rosenberg , Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life