Happiness Book Club
ILLUSTRATION: LESLEY BUCKINGHAM
This book was recommended to me long before I’d heard of or studied positive psychology. Nonviolent (or compassionate) communication (NVC) is an approach to dealing with conflict and understanding ourselves, and others, better as a result. It’s been used to resolve issues in the home, at work and school, through to conflicts in war zones. It helps us clearly express to others what is really going on for us, and to better understand their perspective. At the heart of NVC is the belief that all humans have a compassionate core, but unmet needs and cultural conditioning often block this. NVC helps connect to that core through a simple four-element process that takes practice, but is especially powerful when we feel upset, angry or hurt by others.