Home / Authors / Marshall B. Rosenberg

Marshall B. Rosenberg

Marshall B. Rosenberg Quotes

Psychologist

Marshall B. Rosenberg was a renowned psychologist known for his theory of Nonviolent Communication. His theory emphasizes the importance of listening and expressing needs to promote harmonious relationships. Rosenberg was born on October 6, 1934, and passed away on February 7, 2015.

Filter quotes by topic

All Nonviolent Communication Communication Needs Empathy People Ifs Persons Thinking Feelings Way Giving Want Pain Judgment Use Mets Expression Violence Action May

Famous Marshall B. Rosenberg Quotes

“Most of us grew up speaking a language that encourages us to label, compare, demand, and pronounce judgments rather than to be aware of what we are feeling and needing.”

Feelings Language Grew Demand Judgment Grew Up Labels Compare

Author:Marshall B. Rosenberg

“As soon as you say, "are you feeling X because I ..." Then the Jackal starts to salivate because he can educate the person that he's the cause of his pain.”

Persons Feelings Pain Causes Communication Educate Nonviolent Communication Jackals

Author:Marshall B. Rosenberg

“Empathize with silence by listening for the feelings and needs behind it.”

Needs Feelings Behinds Silence Communication Listening Nonviolent Communication

Author:Marshall B. Rosenberg

“If you are a jackal, you will try to reassure. Jackals try to fix people in pain. They can't stand pain, but make matters worse by trying to get rid of it. Put on giraffe ears. Try to hear what they are feeling and needing.”

People Ifs Trying Matter Feelings Pain Communication Ears Nonviolent Communication Giraffe Jackals

Author:Marshall B. Rosenberg

“In NVC, no matter what words others may use to express themselves, we simply listen for their observations, feelings, needs, and requests.”

Needs May Matter Use Feelings Communication No Matter What Observation Request Nonviolent Communication

Author:Marshall B. Rosenberg

“Never connect yourself with the other person's pain. Just hear their need. Leave yourself out of the other person's feelings and needs.”

Needs Persons Feelings Pain Communication Nonviolent Communication

Author:Marshall B. Rosenberg

“When we listen for their feelings and needs, we no longer see people as monsters.”

People Needs Feelings Communication Monsters Nonviolent Communication

Author:Marshall B. Rosenberg

“When we listen for feelings and needs - we can see that people who seem like monsters are simply human beings whose language and behavior sometimes keep us from seeing their humanness.”

People Needs Humans Sometimes Feelings Seems Language Human Beings Seeing Behavior Monsters Humanness

Author:Marshall B. Rosenberg

“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.”

Source: Speak Peace in a World of Conflict: What You Say Next Will Change Your World

“Have you ever been surfing? Imagine you're on your surfboard now, waiting for the big one to come. Get ready to get carried with that energy. Now, here it comes. That's empathy. No words - just being with that energy. When I connect with what's alive in another person, I have feelings similar to when I'm surfing.”

Persons Feelings Bigs Energy Waiting Alive Imagine Ready Empathy Just Being Surfing No Empathy

Author:Marshall B. Rosenberg

“I recommend allowing others the opportunity to fully express themselves before turning our attention to solutions or requests for relief. When we proceed too quickly to what people might be requesting, we may not convey our genuine interest in their feelings and needs; instead, they may get the impression that we're in a hurry to either be free of them or to fix their problem. Furthermore, an initial message is often like the tip of an iceberg; it may be followed by yet unexpressed, but related - and often more powerful - feelings.”

People Needs May Feelings Problem Might Opportunity Interest Powerful Attention Messages Empathy Solutions Genuine Impression Related Relief Allowing Initials Request Iceberg

Author:Marshall B. Rosenberg

“Self-empathy in NVC means checking in with your own feelings and needs.”

Needs Mean Self Feelings Empathy

Author:Marshall B. Rosenberg

“To be able to hear our own feelings and needs and to empathize with them can free us from depression.”

Needs Feelings Able Empathy

Author:Marshall B. Rosenberg

“Often, instead of offering empathy, we have a strong urge to give advice or reassurance and to explain our own position or feeling.”

Giving Feelings Strong Advice Position Empathy Urges Offering Reassurance

Author:Marshall B. Rosenberg

“The best way I can get understanding from another person is to give this person the understanding, too. If I want them to hear my needs and feelings, I first need to empathize.”

Ifs Way Want Needs Giving Firsts Persons I Can Feelings Understanding Empathy Best Way

Author:Marshall B. Rosenberg

“NVC enhances inner communication by helping us translate negative internal messages into feelings and needs. Our ability to distinguish our own feelings and needs and to empathize with them can free us from depression.”

Needs Helping Feelings Ability Communication Messages Empathy Negative Internals Translate

Author:Marshall B. Rosenberg

“Our ability to offer empathy can allow us to stay vulnerable, defuse potential violence, help us hear the word 'no' without taking it as a rejection, revive lifeless conversation, and even hear the feelings and needs expressed through silence.”

Needs Helping Feelings Ability Silence Violence Offers Conversation Empathy Vulnerable Rejection Revive Lifeless

Author:Marshall B. Rosenberg

“Empathy is a respectful understanding of what others are experiencing. Instead of offering empathy, we often have a strong urge to give advice or reassurance and to explain our own position or feeling. Empathy, however, calls upon us to empty our mind and listen to others with our whole being.”

“In nonviolent communication, no matter what words others may use to express themselves, we simply listen for their observations, feelings, needs, and requests. Then we may wish to reflect back, paraphrasing what we have understood. We stay with empathy, allowing others the opportunity to fully express themselves before we turn our attention to solutions or requests for relief.”

“To do this, you can bring in nothing from the past. So the more psychology you've studied, the harder it will be to empathize. The more you know the person, the harder it will be to empathize. Diagnoses and past experiences can instantly knock you off the board. This doesn't mean denying the past. Past experiences can stimulate what's alive in this moment. But are you present to what was alive then or what the person is feeling and needing in this moment?”

Knows Mean Persons Moments Feelings Past Psychology Alive Empathy Harder Boards Diagnosis Past Experiences

Author:Marshall B. Rosenberg

“When we hear the other person's feelings and needs, we recognize our common humanity.”

Needs Persons Feelings Humanity Common Nonviolence Nonviolent Communication Common Humanity

Author:Marshall B. Rosenberg

“What others do may be the stimulus of our feelings, but never the cause.”

May Feelings Causes Communication Stimulus Nonviolent Communication

Author:Marshall B. Rosenberg

“Keep in mind that other people's actions can never 'make' you feel any certain way. Feelings are your warning indicators.”

People Way Feels Mind Feelings Action Certain Communication Warning Nonviolent Communication Indicators Other People's Actions

Author:Marshall B. Rosenberg

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

Needs Humans Feelings Slave Contact Nonviolent Communication

Author:Marshall B. Rosenberg