What is NVC?

I've been curious about NVC, or nonviolent communication, for a while now. I've found that it presents such a drastic paradigm shift that even understanding what it is, much less practicing it, has taken several years.


First of all, having the word "violent" in the name for such a peaceful lifestyle has always seemed a little jarring to me. It is also called compassionate communication, but that's also a mouthful. Isn't it telling, though, that we need such a specific term to describe a way of communicating, perceiving, feeling and being that is *peaceful*? Humans have the ability to be peaceful, but it often does not come naturally, either by nature, or by example.

Especially when we're stressed, we can be selfish, make ridiculous assumptions, and generally act like asses.

And with our most cherished loved ones, we often act in a way we would *never* treat strangers or mere acquaintances. Isn't that backwards?


So, in an attempt to better understand these things, I'm going to work them out by writing them, and expect plenty of comments! Good and bad, your honest responses would be helpful.