"I" Language vs. "You" language

Question

There are two differences between I-language and you-language. First, I-language is language that takes responsibility for the impact the other person's behavior has on you, whereas you language implies blame on the other person. Second, I language is more descriptive than you language.

• Effective I-Statements consists of three basic elements: Behavioral description Emotional description, and Consequence

• Behavioral Description is a clear, specific, and factual description of a person's behavior. It uses language to build consensus and avoids exaggeration, judgmental, or abstract content.

• Emotional Description states the emotions felt when the behavior occurred. Developing self-awareness and emotional intelligence skills will aid in identifying emotions. Identifying emotions builds empathy in the other person by helping his or her to know exactly how the speaker is feeling.