These authors had a New York Times bestseller 35 years ago. Their subject then was love. They were staples on The Oprah Winfrey Show. They’re therapists and educators. Their subject today is the biggest problem we have: our inability to talk with each other.
This is a book for people who are lacking in relational competency, and that’s surely a majority of us.
Chapters address four skills that seem to have been lost from our human toolkit: Ability to Dialogue, Practicing Zero Negativity, Showing Real Empathy, and Affirming Others.
The final part is all about building healthy brains and healthy relationships — it turns out that these two are interrelated. There are many teachings and practices here, including this one:
“You can become relationally competent … in your everyday life. This process includes dedicating yourself to improving your listening skills so that you listen to understand others accurately, and it opens up your mind through curiosity and wonder. This triggers activity in the healthiest part of your brain, which contributes to better physical and emotional health and happiness.”
