Choice – The Needs’ Year (Week 16)
I was 15 years old and it was time to choose a high school program. Back in those days, there were not as many programs to choose from as there are nowadays. I was interested in photography and had managed to find a high school with that subject as a specialisation....
Autonomy – The Needs’ Year (Week 15)
I’m sitting and writing a test in physics. It’s a hard problem and I’m looking for a suitable equation in the formula book. Without a word, my teacher steps forward and slams the book in front of me. I look up in surprise (I was not aware that we were not...
Dignity – The Needs’ Year (Week 14)
“Damn it, Jocke! You’re the best friend I have. I love you!” My friend was very drunk and I was a sober person during that period of my life. I felt embarrassed and mumbled something in response, trying to avoid the discomfort. He obviously wanted contact...
Meaning – The Needs’ Year (Week 13)
A few years ago, I rented a working space with some other people for a while. Once a month I gave an introductory lecture to NVC. Each time there was a varied number of participants, sometimes as many as 20 people. At one occasion, only a single person came. After a...
Harmony – The Needs’ Year (Week 12)
An association that comes to mind when I think of the need for harmony is a Buddhist monk sitting in silent meditation up in a mountain monastery. The wind is blowing, everything is still, all movements are slow. Life seems calm, simple and predictable. The lack of...
Trust – The Needs’ Year (Week 11)
“We will compensate for the damage!” The words came out of me without a second thought. I was one of the organisers of last year’s European NVC Summer Festival and a few of the children had gone berserk. An armchair was destroyed. The pool table was...
Mourning – The Needs’ Year (Week 10)
A few weeks ago I heard that one of my oldest friends had died because of a stroke. At first I became mute and cold. We shared our time intensely for a few years during the second half of the 80’s. After that, we didn’t meet often, but occasionally, with a few...
Safety – The Needs’ Year (Week 9)
I am writing this blog post on Monday 28 February 2022. I’m sitting in my living room in my apartment in Tensta, a northern suburb in Stockholm, Sweden. Opposite me sits Magda writing something on her computer. Outside the window the sun is shining. It is a few...