“those who lack self-definition, whether they are children, marriage partners, employees, clients, therapists, or supervisors, will always perceive those who are well-defined to be “headstrong.” — Edwin H Friedman Copy Share Image
“the major relational problem for our species is not getting together; protoplasm loves to join. The problem is preserving self in a close relationship.… — Edwin H Friedman Copy Share Image
“the key to survival is the ability of the “host” to recognize and limit the invasiveness of its viral or malignant components.” — Edwin H Friedman Copy Share Image
The function of a leader within any institution: to provide that regulation through his or her non-anxious, self-defined presence. — Edwin H Friedman Copy Share Image
“while the modern, human animal is capable of deep thought and, like its mammalian forebears, can nurture and play, it also is capable of… — Edwin H Friedman Copy Share Image
“no one has ever gone from slavery to freedom with the slaveholders cheering them on,” — Edwin H Friedman Copy Share Image
Communication does not depend on syntax, or eloquence, or rhetoric, or articulation but on the emotional context in which the message is being heard.… — Edwin H Friedman Copy Share Image
“The three criteria of reptilian functioning that leaders of any family or institution can always rely on to judge madness (of others or their… — Edwin H Friedman Copy Share Image
“any community or family discussion, those who are the first to introduce concern for empathy feel powerless, and are trying to use the togetherness… — Edwin H Friedman Copy Share Image
“A “new world” view of the brain suggests instead that communication is itself an emotional phenomenon that depends on three interrelational rather than “mental”… — Edwin H Friedman Copy Share Image
A major criterion for judging the anxiety level of any society is the loss of its capacity to be playful. — Edwin H Friedman Copy Share Image
“the “old world” view separates data from emotional process and focuses leaders on the “talking heads” of others, while the “new world” view focuses… — Edwin H Friedman Copy Share Image
