This book had a lot of good stuff in it. The MOST helpful for me was the section on Assertive vs. Aggressive Communication. I have never seen it laid out so clearly. It gave me a chance to both correct the way I communicate and watch for aggressive communication in others.
I have often been frustrated about the way people talk to me... but I couldn't put my finger on why. I usually settled on there was something wrong with me. Once I read that section, I could point out to myself why it bothered me, and I could choose to share with others if I wanted. It has DRASTICALLY improved my communication with people around me.
"As nice people we have failed to distinguish between being aggressive and being assertive. Seeing the difference between them can free us to tell others what we want. Look at how these two forms of expression differ:
To be aggressive is to dominate people and take away their rightful power.
To be assertive is to express your wants and leave their power intact.
To be aggressive is to affirm only your own wants and worth.
To be assertive is to affirm the worth of both others and yourself.
To be aggressive is selfish.
To be assertive expresses a healthy self-love.
We assert ourselves when we respectfully ask something of others that’s appropriate. Rather than aggressively imposing our needs on them and turning them off, our assertiveness makes them feel needed and they find satisfaction in responding.
The freedom to express your desires to others will come only with your decision to live by them. Are you willing to love yourself? Be fully present to those you care about? Assert yourself in a respectful way?
In asserting yourself, whether you want people to stop or start doing something, you need to be positive, specific and direct, rather than negative, indirect, manipulative or moralistic.
Such compelling assertions, because they are clear, honest, and respectful, tend to make others want to give you what you want, desire and deserve. On the other hand, if you’re negative, you create negative responses; if you’re indirect, you burden others with explaining themselves; if you’re manipulative, you make them resentful and resistant; if you’re moralistic, you force them to act out of guilt. Here are examples of healthy assertiveness followed by examples of how unhealthy communications sound:
I’d like you to pick up your toys.
Not, Don’t leave your toys lying around. (Negative)
Not, Why don’t you pick up your toys? (Negative and indirect)
Not, You shouldn’t leave your toys lying around. (Negative and moralistic)
Not, Nice kids don’t leave their toys lying around. (Negative, indirect and manipulative)
I’d like you to bring me flowers.
Not, Don’t forget to bring me flowers. (Negative)
Not, Why don’t you bring me flowers anymore? (Negative, indirect)
Not, You ought to bring me flowers now and then. (Moralistic)
Not, Nice spouses don’t forget to bring their wife flowers. (Negative, indirect, manipulative)"