Svitlana Savchuk, Program Trainer: “No One is Born Toxic”
“A person uses toxicity as a way of behaving, for lack of other ways to protect themselves, attract attention and be seen or heard.”
“What brings toxicity in communication with others? What poisons the atmosphere, electrifies, brings tension, charges the content with negativity? Such behavior makes it impossible to develop relations, especially in the long run.”
“Tomorrow’s Lawyer” talked to the program’s coach Svitlana Savchuk about toxicity in communication.
Toxicity is a way of communication that is accompanied by a negative impact on the interlocutor. What is the root cause of such communication?
Speaking of the causes of toxic communication, namely its four main manifestations: attack-accusation, justification, sarcasm, ignoring (experts also add to this list manipulation and devaluation), I would give a scheme that determines human behavior.
- It all starts with basic key beliefs. That is, each of us has such beliefs based on our worldview, and values. Everyone has their own understanding of the concept of trust, strength, success, openness, vulnerability, and so on. For example, someone believes that everything can be achieved by force, people should not be trusted, either that or get owned, and so on. Such views can provoke toxicity;
- Key beliefs determine our so-called automatic thoughts. That is, those thoughts that arise immediately, we say, reactively. “I have to prove who is right; I can’t allow someone’s superiority; I have to get advantage or become a winner “;
- Such thoughts are caused by certain emotions, usually tension or fear.
They provoke toxic human behavior.
The full text of the interview is published on the Program web-site and available in Ukrainian.
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The opinions expressed in this interview are the author’s own and do not reflect the position of the “Tomorrow’s Lawyer” NGO, the Ukrainian Bar Association, the Bar Association of Legal Aid Providers, and the United States Embassy in Ukraine.
“Tomorrow’s Lawyer” Program is a powerful network of lawyers uniting opinion leaders in the legal profession, who provide legal assistance in accordance with the highest ethical standards, act as agents of change in society and leaders in the professional community.
The “Tomorrow’s Lawyer” Program was launched in 2016 and first implemented within the “Quality and Accessible Legal Aid” Project, carried out by the Canadian Bureau for International Education with the support of the Government of Canada in cooperation with the Legal Aid Coordination Centre. It is currently being implemented and developed with the support of the US Embassy’s INL Section in Ukraine, the “Tomorrow’s Lawyer” NGO, in partnership with the Ukrainian Bar Association and the Bar Association of Legal Aid Providers.
