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How To Communicate Effectively With Difficult People: When to Tell the Truth, When to Push Back, and Why Kindness Isn't the Same as Being Nice | Sharon Salzberg

About this episode

Plus: the four questions the Buddha said you should ask before you speak, the truth about gossip, and what to do when compassion and honesty pull in opposite directions.

Sharon Salzberg is a meditation pioneer, world-renowned teacher, and New York Times bestselling author. She is among the first to bring mindfulness & lovingkindness meditation to mainstream American culture fifty years ago. 

In this episode we talk about:

  • What the Buddha actually said about how to talk to people, and why almost none of us were ever taught it 
  • The four questions to ask yourself before you open your mouth 
  • Whether white lies are ever okay 
  • The difference between being kind and being nice 
  • Is it ever okay to gossip? 
  • Why shame is the enemy of change, and what "right" in right speech actually means 
  • How to remember any of this when you're mid-conversation with a difficult person

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How To Communicate Effectively With Difficult People: When to Tell the Truth, When to Push Back, and Why Kindness Isn't the Same as Being Nice | Sharon Salzberg

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