Nonviolent Communication

Developed by Marshall Rosenberg. A communication framework built around empathy and honesty. Four components:

1. **Observations** — What I see/hear, without evaluation or judgment. 2. **Feelings** — What I'm feeling (not thinking, not blaming — actual emotions). 3. **Needs** — The underlying universal need driving the feeling. 4. **Requests** — A specific, doable, positive request — not a demand.

The key distinction: an observation is "You came home at midnight," not "You're always out late." A feeling is "I felt lonely," not "I felt like you didn't care." NVC is harder than it looks — most people use it awkwardly at first — but it dramatically reduces defensiveness in conflict.

Origin

Marshall Rosenberg, 1960s-2000s