UPBUILDING THE SELF

Nonviolent Communication #4:

Reconciling Our Infinite Longings With Our Finite Capacity, Spirituality, and The Limits of the NVC Framework

In the fourth and final episode of the Nonviolent Communication miniseries, Michael, Hari Prasada, and Rasanath explore why the NVC framework will only take us so far. They discuss how our needs are never really satisfied, our yearning for eternity, the common way that people misuse gratitude as a practice, the need for spiritual practice, and steps we can take to help us on the path toward meeting the deepest need that we have.

Podcast Hosts: Michael, Hari Prasada and Rasanath

Highlights

  • [1:10] Recap of the Nonviolent Communication miniseries

  • [2:20] Why NVC will only take you so far

  • [6:40] How using gratitude can be a misguided strategy to make us feel better

  • [9:40] “Our only guide is our homesickness.” -Hermann Hesse

  • [10:00] An Existential Crisis is an Opportunity for Growth

  • [11:20] The spectrum between the ego and the self

  • [15:30] Love as the deepest need

  • [21:40] The ephemerality of meeting our material needs

  • [23:30] Søren Kierkegaard’s philosophy that: We are filled with infinite longings and a finite capacity to fulfill them

  • [27:00] Meeting our spiritual needs through spiritual practice

  • [35:00] Moral relativism

  • [37:30] Closing thoughts

Quotes

  • “The infinite nature of our needs runs so deep that it can’t be fully met by anyone in this world.” -Rasanath

  • “The limitation with material things is the depth to which they can meet our needs.” -Rasanath

  • “The only thing we can do is recognize that there’s something in us that is begging for eternity, and which will only be satisfied when we touch eternity.” -Hari Prasada

  • “Spiritual practice will not make full sense without the basics of understanding what spirituality is.” -Rasanath

For first timers, welcome to Upbuilding the Self

About the podcast: Two former monks, a former startup founder and CEO, and a former equity derivatives trader dive into how to be our best selves, free from the ego. Our egos are the identities we create for ourselves and wish the world to validate, but when we are not seen as we want to be, we feel insecure. This podcast lives at the intersection of leadership and spirituality. It will help you understand your ego and shed light on your inner world so that you can act with greater clarity, compassion, and the freedom to be your best self.