Page 83 - Crucial Conversations

5

T h ey had ltved together {or so many years that

they mistook their arguments f o r conversation.

-MARJOlUli KEllOGG

Make I t S a f e

k
How to Ma e It Safe to T a lk
about Almost Anything

The last chapter contained a promise: If you spot safety risks as
they happen, you can step out of the conversation, build safety,
and then find a way to dialogue about almost anything. In this
chapter we'll fulfill that promise by teaching what it takes to
restore safety.
To get started, let's examine a situation where safety is at risk.
We'll eavesdrop on a couple as they try to discuss one of the
most delicate of topics-physical intimacy.
First a little background. Jotham thinks he and Y v onne are inti­
mate with each other far too seldom. Yvonne is satisfied with their
physical relationship. For years the two have acted out rather than
talked out their concerns. When Jotham wants to be amorous and