--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When we are in contact with our feelings…" description: "\"When we are in contact with our feelings and needs, we humans no longer make good slaves and underlings.\" — Marshall B. Rosenberg" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a34/marshall-b-rosenberg-1145_contact_when-we-are-in-contact-with-our-feelings_3103034.png" --- # When we are in contact with our feelings and needs, we… ![“When we are in contact with our feelings and needs, we humans no longer make good slaves and underlings.” quote by Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a34/marshall-b-rosenberg-1145_contact_when-we-are-in-contact-with-our-feelings_3103034.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a34/marshall-b-rosenberg-1145_contact_when-we-are-in-contact-with-our-feelings_3103034.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a34/marshall-b-rosenberg-1145_contact_when-we-are-in-contact-with-our-feelings_3103034.png) > “When we are in contact with our feelings and needs, we humans no longer make good slaves and underlings.” [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Awareness of feelings and needs frees people from being controlled or oppressed. **In simple terms:** Knowing our emotions prevents us from being manipulated. Key Takeaway Listen to feelings to regain autonomy. Themes empathy self‑awareness freedom communication Mood empathetic inspirational thoughtful Type self‑help philosophical motivational When to use this quote - counseling sessions - team meetings - personal reflection - education Key Concepts psychology human needs conflict resolution Questions to Reflect On - How can we act on needs without harming others? - What barriers prevent honest emotional expression? A Different Perspective People may still be pressured despite awareness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Nonviolent communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nonviolent-communication/) [Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) ## Related quotes > [In NVC, no matter what words others may use to express themselves, we simply listen for their observations, feelings, needs, and requests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/in-nvc-no-matter-what-words-others-may-use-to-express-themselves-we/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [Never connect yourself with the other person's pain. Just hear their need. Leave yourself out of the other person's feelings and needs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/never-connect-yourself-with-the-other-person-s-pain-just-hear-their/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [When we listen for their feelings and needs, we no longer see people as monsters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/when-we-listen-for-their-feelings-and-needs-we-no-longer-see-people/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [If you are a czar or a king or a president or someone that wants to control those below them you do not want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/if-you-are-a-czar-or-a-king-or-a-president-or-someone-that-wants-to/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [I recommend allowing others the opportunity to fully express themselves before turning our attention to solutions or requests for relief. When we proceed too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/i-recommend-allowing-others-the-opportunity-to-fully-express/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [To be able to hear our own feelings and needs and to empathize with them can free us from depression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/to-be-able-to-hear-our-own-feelings-and-needs-and-to-empathize-with/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [“Start working my friend – start working towards humanizing the world. Because the world needs humans – conscientious humans, not some dumb manikins, driven…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/start-working-my-friend-start-working-towards-humanizing-the-world/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [Earth was not built to serve the needs of humans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cope/earth-was-not-built-to-serve-the-needs-of-humans/) [Tim Cope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cope/) > [The thing that nature needs the most from us humans is space. We need to distance ourselves for a while so that we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pranitha-subhash/the-thing-that-nature-needs-the-most-from-us-humans-is-space-we-need/) [Pranitha Subhash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pranitha-subhash/) > [Good slaves are free, but bad free men are slaves of many passions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bion-of-borysthenes/good-slaves-are-free-but-bad-free-men-are-slaves-of-many-passions/) [Bion of Borysthenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bion-of-borysthenes/) > [“They were empowered and fulfilled. They dated occasionally but were just as happy living the feminist dream of a professional woman not answerable to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-j-dunlea/they-were-empowered-and-fulfilled-they-dated-occasionally-but-were/) [Annette J Dunlea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-j-dunlea/) > [Technical people don't make good slaves. Without their wholehearted cooperation, things fall apart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernor-vinge/technical-people-don-t-make-good-slaves-without-their-wholehearted/) [Vernor Vinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernor-vinge/) > [“Feelings, who needs them? Sometimes they're like a gift, when you feel love or happiness. Sometimes they're a curse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/feelings-who-needs-them-sometimes-they-re-like-a-gift-when-you-feel/) [John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/) > [“To develop empathy, we must care about the experiences, feelings, needs, and wants of the people around us. We must care enough to turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-wall/to-develop-empathy-we-must-care-about-the-experiences-feelings-needs/) [Bob Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-wall/) > [An amazing observation: it is precisely for feelings that one needs time, not for thought. ... Feelings, obviously, are more demanding than thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-tsvetaeva/an-amazing-observation-it-is-precisely-for-feelings-that-one-needs/) [Marina Tsvetaeva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-tsvetaeva/) ## More by Marshall B. Rosenberg > [When you need empathy, you cannot give empathy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/when-you-need-empathy-you-cannot-give-empathy/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [Understanding the other persons' needs does not mean you have to give up on your own needs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/understanding-the-other-persons-needs-does-not-mean-you-have-to-give/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [Plans to exact retribution are never going to make us safer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/plans-to-exact-retribution-are-never-going-to-make-us-safer/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [NVC gives us tools and understanding to create a more peaceful state of mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/nvc-gives-us-tools-and-understanding-to-create-a-more-peaceful-state/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [What I want in my life is compassion a flow between myself and others based on mutual giving from the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/what-i-want-in-my-life-is-compassion-a-flow-between-myself-and-others/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [Analyses of others are actually expressions of our own needs and values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/analyses-of-others-are-actually-expressions-of-our-own-needs-and/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [Staying with empathy we allow speakers to touch deeper levels of themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/staying-with-empathy-we-allow-speakers-to-touch-deeper-levels-of/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [Punishment is the root of violence on our planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/punishment-is-the-root-of-violence-on-our-planet/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [Often, instead of offering empathy, we have a strong urge to give advice or reassurance and to explain our own position or feeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/often-instead-of-offering-empathy-we-have-a-strong-urge-to-give/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [NVC is founded on language and communication skills that strengthen our ability to remain human, even under trying conditions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/nvc-is-founded-on-language-and-communication-skills-that-strengthen/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [Ask before offering advice or reassurance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/ask-before-offering-advice-or-reassurance/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [If you think ahead to what to say next - like how to fix it or make the person feel better - BOOM! Off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/if-you-think-ahead-to-what-to-say-next-like-how-to-fix-it-or-make-the/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [Two questions help us see why we are unlikely to get what we want by using punishment... The first question is: What do I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/two-questions-help-us-see-why-we-are-unlikely-to-get-what-we-want-by/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [Praise and reward create a system of extrinsic motivations for behavior. Children (and adults) end up taking action in order to receive the praise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/praise-and-reward-create-a-system-of-extrinsic-motivations-for/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [Everything we do is in service of our needs. When this one concept is applied to our view of others, we'll see that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/everything-we-do-is-in-service-of-our-needs-when-this-one-concept-is/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) [Explore all 283 Marshall B. Rosenberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) ## More Contact quotes > [Politics in Philadelphia is a contact sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nutter/politics-in-philadelphia-is-a-contact-sport/) [Michael Nutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nutter/) > [She'd read once that if you ran into a bear in the woods you should avoid eye contact and you shouldn't run away, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-ursu/she-d-read-once-that-if-you-ran-into-a-bear-in-the-woods-you-should/) [Anne Ursu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-ursu/) > [Becoming famous is a really shocking thing, especially when you don't have aspirations to it. It got to the point where I would try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/becoming-famous-is-a-really-shocking-thing-especially-when-you-don-t/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [Some people are like ants. Give them a warm day and a piece of ground and they start digging. There the similarity ends. Ants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-borland/some-people-are-like-ants-give-them-a-warm-day-and-a-piece-of-ground/) [Hal Borland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-borland/) > [The Harvard Business Review recently had an article called 'The Human Moment,' about how to make real contact with a person at work: ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/the-harvard-business-review-recently-had-an-article-called-the-human/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [The improved American highway system isolated the American-in-transit. On his speedway he had no contact with the towns which he by-passed. If he stopped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-boorstin/the-improved-american-highway-system-isolated-the-american-in-transit/) [Daniel J. Boorstin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-boorstin/) > [Close contact between science and the practice of collective farms and State farms creates inexhaustible opportunities for the development of theoretical knowledge, enabling us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trofim-lysenko/close-contact-between-science-and-the-practice-of-collective-farms/) [Trofim Lysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trofim-lysenko/) > [You should never feel lonely, neglected, fearful, or defeated when you remember that there are the shining ones. They are watching with keen interest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flower-a-newhouse/you-should-never-feel-lonely-neglected-fearful-or-defeated-when-you/) [Flower A. Newhouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flower-a-newhouse/) > [Daily contact with some teachers is itself all-sided ethical education for the child without a spoken precept. Here, too, the real advantage of male…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-stanley-hall/daily-contact-with-some-teachers-is-itself-all-sided-ethical/) [G. Stanley Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-stanley-hall/) > [Emma was a shocking driver, simultaneously sloppy and petrified, and for the first fifty miles had been absent-mindedly driving with her spectacles on top…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/emma-was-a-shocking-driver-simultaneously-sloppy-and-petrified-and/) [David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/) > [Is there some lesson on how to be friends? I think what it means is that central to living a life that is good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rakoff/is-there-some-lesson-on-how-to-be-friends-i-think-what-it-means-is/) [David Rakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rakoff/) > [The Filipino embraces civilization and lives and thrives in every clime, in contact with every people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-rizal/the-filipino-embraces-civilization-and-lives-and-thrives-in-every/) [Jose Rizal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-rizal/) > [I don't know whether we think in moving images or whether we think in still images. I have a suspicion that on our hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-snow/i-don-t-know-whether-we-think-in-moving-images-or-whether-we-think-in/) [Jon Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-snow/) > [One of the best ways into the business is to get a job with a production, which you can do by cold-calling or by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitchell-hurwitz/one-of-the-best-ways-into-the-business-is-to-get-a-job-with-a/) [Mitchell Hurwitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitchell-hurwitz/) > [“I never met a pig I didn't like. All pigs are intelligent, emotional, and sensitive souls. They all love company. They all crave contact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sy-montgomery/i-never-met-a-pig-i-didn-t-like-all-pigs-are-intelligent-emotional/) [Sy Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sy-montgomery/) Browse all 1,740 Contact quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When we are in contact with our feelings and needs, we humans no longer make good slaves and underlings.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marshall B. Rosenberg" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/when-we-are-in-contact-with-our-feelings-and-needs-we-humans-no/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Contact" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/when-we-are-in-contact-with-our-feelings-and-needs-we-humans-no/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a34/marshall-b-rosenberg-1145_contact_when-we-are-in-contact-with-our-feelings_3103034.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a34/marshall-b-rosenberg-1145_contact_when-we-are-in-contact-with-our-feelings_3103034.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a34/marshall-b-rosenberg-1145_contact_when-we-are-in-contact-with-our-feelings_3103034.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When we are in contact with our feelings and needs, we humans no longer make good slaves and underlings.” — Marshall B. Rosenberg", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Marshall B. Rosenberg", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When we are in contact with...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/when-we-are-in-contact-with-our-feelings-and-needs-we-humans-no/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/when-we-are-in-contact-with-our-feelings-and-needs-we-humans-no/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```