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decolonizing non violent communication

decolonizing non violent communication

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[b:Nonviolent Communication 71730 Nonviolent Communication A Language of Life Marshall B. Rosenberg https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386925124l/71730.SY75.jpg 2766138] changed my life when I first read it fifteen years ago. This one I'm thinking not so much... but it's too early to tell, and I promise to give it time.I came >this< close to abandoning it on page one, when the very first paragraph tingled my spideysense with a feeling of dread: This is going to be a “hegemony” book, isn't it? Fourteen pages later there it was, but by then something had happened: I was hooked. The book isn't pretentious or (overly) chiponshouldery. It feels genuine, written with compassion and respect. The author does point out real concerns with NVC, some of which I've learned for myself and grown from, some I had not considered because of my privilege. The author has put a lot of work and thought into this volume, and the world has changed since Rosenberg's day: the conversations we have are different. This is a worthy successor slash companion to NVC.My review is being derailed as I write it: I wanted to write about the book's obsession with unmet needs. I wanted to write a smug rebuttal, saying that part of being a grownup is accepting that some needs can never be met, that we need to suck that up. And I found myself scanning my body (a gift I learned from NVC, strongly reinforced in this book) and finding anger. I guess I haven't let go of my grief after all. And I guess I have some unexpected work to do. Feeling both dejected and grateful. And that's all for now.

February 11, 2023Report this review