Concept from Chapter 7

The concept from this week that I really liked was Own Your Feelings. It relates back to Chapter 4, and although short, I thought it covered important ideas when communicating. Using I language when communicating to ourselves and others is important because it indicates responsibility. When you approach people with criticism, I language will be much more receptive than you language. It shows others that we recognize what we feel, as opposed to putting the blame on others. By acknowledging others through acknowledging ourselves, we are more likely to focus on specific behavior. If we do not like something that someone did to us, using I language will be more likely to invoke a thoughtful response. I felt that keeping this in mind when communicating with others will cause less conflict. Many times, conflicts and disagreements are not resolved because both parties fail to acknowledge themselves. It is much easier to put the blame on others without owning up to our own responsibility in the matter. Arguments than arise, no one hears anyone, and everyone leaves feeling more frustrated than before.