“My belief is that, **whenever we say something to another person, we are requesting something in return**. - “It may simply be an **empathic connection**—a verbal or nonverbal acknowledgment, as with the man on the train, that our words have been understood. - “Or we may be **requesting honesty**: we wish to know the listener’s honest reaction to our words. - “Or we may be **requesting an action** that we hope would fulfill our needs. “The **clearer we are on what we want back** from the other person, the more likely it is that our needs will be met.” --- **Tags** -- [[quotes]], [[expressing-needs]], [[communication-skills]], [[crucial-conversations]], [[non-violent communication]], [[giving-instructions]] **Source** -- [[251115105628 - B - Nonviolent Communication]]