222. Professional Humility I: The Core Elements

In this book, John Gottman presents findings from his research on married couples, including studies where he monitored over a hundred couples to understand conflict resolution and marital dynamics. Gottman identifies four destructive communication patterns—criticism, defensiveness, contempt, and stonewalling—that can predict marital failure. He also outlines three healthy problem-solving styles in marriages: validating, conflict-avoiding, and volatile. The book includes self-quizzes and practical exercises to help couples assess their relationship and improve their communication skills. Gottman emphasizes the importance of a positive to negative interaction ratio and provides a four-step program to break through negativity and enhance communication and problem-solving abilities.