Here is a fun and easy way to learn new vocabulary words. This is good to study a new language, or increase your vocabulary.
If two people are playing: Person 1 picks a new word that nobody knows from the first letter in the alphabet (eg, A). Person 2 repeats the word that begins with A, and then selects a word from the second letter in the alphabet (eg, B). It goes back to Person 1, who says the A word and meaning, the B word and meaning, and chooses a C word. Et cetera, all the way until the end of the alphabet.
You can also play alone or with many people. You could also spice it up by having penalties or prizes each time a person messes up or succeeds.
Goal: To foster a system of communication that is nonviolent (avoiding bickering, anger, active and passive agression, nastiness, etc). Simple, yet best read slowly and with digestion.
10 things we can do to contribute to internal, interpersonal, and organizational peace:
(1) Spend some time each day quietly reflecting on how we would like to relate to ourselves and others.
(2) Remember that all human beings have the same needs.
(3) Check our intention to see if we are as interested in others getting their needs met as our own.
(4) When asking someone to do something, check first to see if we are making a request or a demand.
(5) Instead of saying what we DON’T want someone to do, say what we DO want the person to do.
(6) Instead of saying what we want someone to BE, say what action we’d like the person to take that we hope will help the person be that way.
(7) Before agreeing or disagreeing with anyone’s opinions, try to tune in to what the person is feeling and needing.
(8) Instead of saying “No,” say what need of ours prevents us from saying “Yes.”
(9) If we are feeling upset, think about what need of ours is not being met, and what we could do to meet it, instead of thinking about what’s wrong with others or ourselves.
(10) Instead of praising someone who did something we like, express our gratitude by telling the person what need of ours that action met.
The Center for Nonviolent Communication (CNVC) would like there to be a critical mass of people using Nonviolent Communication language so all people will get their needs met and resolve their conflicts peacefully.
© 2001, revised 2004 Gary Baran & CNVC
The right to freely duplicate this document is hereby granted.
For further exploration, see the needs list and feelings list from CNVC.org.
