The Art of Communication

Part TwoOpting for Control

We are like bowls on the surface of the water. The direction a bowl moves is controlled not by the bowl, but by the water.

– Rumi

There's always a tendency to control communication to avoid unwelcome surprises. Most people steer their conversation with habitual instructions to the brain, and these affect everything they say, mostly beyond self‐awareness. With such agendas in place, stemming mainly from fear, they fail to truly show up when they encounter other people.

Control Rules

The first step toward more authentic communication is to look at control. There's a strong instinct to control our environment and plan what to say and how to say it. Control is pervasive and entrenched in our culture, the all‐favoured ...