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Observation
Introduction
Gewaltfreie Kommunikation (GFK), developed by Marshall Rosenberg in the 1960s and early 1970s, aimed to reduce violence, racial tension, and miscommunication by improving how people express and understand needs.
Looking at the world through a GFK-structured lens made everyday problems easier to understand.
From this structure emerges the Observation → Consequence → Action (O-C-A) framework.
GFK | O-C-A
Wahrnehmen → Observation
Auswirkung → Consequence
Wunsch → Action
1. Wahrnehmen / Observation
The usual English translation of Wahrnehmen is perception, but this is misleading because “perception” already contains interpretation and bias:
- distortion
- expectation
- emotion
- misinterpretation
- personal filters
In German, Wahrnehmen is a compound:
- Wahr = true, real
- nehmen = to take, to receive
Literally: “das Wahre nehmen” — taking in what is true.
This closely matches the scientific definition of observation:
describing what is there, without injecting opinion.
A good observation is something most people can agree on without debating interpretation.
It anchors communication in shared reality.
2. Auswirkung / Consequence
The translation of Auswirkung usually leads to effect, impact or consequence.
It is also a compound:
- Aus = out of
- Wirkung = effect
So the nuance is: “the effect that comes out of something” — the direct consequence.
Developing consequences is the System 2 part of thinking (slow, reflective, analytical).
This is where we evaluate what is likely to happen and filter out bias by examining our assumptions, values and emotional triggers.
This often becomes an iterative loop:
new insights can send us back to re-examine our observations.
Thinking in terms of observation first, then consequence clearly separates
description from interpretation, which greatly improves clarity.
3. Wunsch / Action
The German word Wunsch translates as wish, which can sound emotional or fantasy-driven in English.
In GFK, however, Wunsch means the intended direction of action — what we want to happen next based on our understanding of the situation.
A reasonable action must:
- be possible
- be directed toward someone who can do something
- follow logically from the observation and consequence
With a clear grasp of what is true (observation) and what it implies (consequence), we can tailor a meaningful response that mitigates harm or takes advantage of opportunity.
Summary: Observation → Consequence → Action
Looking at a situation through these three distinct lenses simplifies complexity and strengthens understanding.
Observation / Wahrnehmen
See the situation as it is, without prejudice or interpretation.
Consequence / Auswirkung
Understand what the situation means, what follows from it, and how it affects us and others.
Action / Wunsch
Choose a response that fits the consequences and is directed to someone who can act.
When information is packaged in this sequence, it becomes easier for everyone to understand and follow.
Communication and Self-Management
- For ourselves:
O-C-A breaks issues into manageable parts and increases confidence by making choices explicit. - For others:
O-C-A creates a clear, logical chain of reasoning.
What we see → what it means → what we propose.
This makes communication more persuasive, more transparent, and less emotional.
📖 Series Roadmap
- Forward: A Little Background
- Introduction: Action, Reaction, and the Human Paradox (16.09.2025)
- Looking Back in Time: The Development of the Human Brain (23.09.2025)
- Abstract Senses: Enhancing the way we see the world outside (30.09.2025)
- Bias as a Concept & Climbing the Stairs: Pattern Recognition & Everyday Tasks (07.10.2025)
- Abstract Feelings and Abstract Senses (14.10.2025)
- Motivation (04.11.2025)
- The Social Knowledge Base (11.11.2025)
- Potential (18.11.2025)
- The Subliminal Way We Go Through Life (26.11.2025)
- Taking Responsibility (02.12.2025)
- Fishing for Complements (22.12.2025)
- Peter and Fermi (22.12.2025)
🔗 R&R Navigation
Back to Topics │ Taking Responsibility │CheatSheetHub │ Start: Relativity & Reaction
End Notes: n/a
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