Yeah, I agree that it's easy to slip into a robot mode with the result that the person you're trying to talk to or connect with is feeling manipulated or tricke

Yeah, I agree that it's easy to slip into a robot mode with the result that the person you're trying to talk to or connect with is feeling manipulated or tricked. It takes time and practice and honest connection. How I see it is that the core message should really be about open communication, and not a trick that you use to get feelings out of another person or make them do what you want. In the beginning I was quite unskillful and used the lines a lot as guidelines, but now I can sort of listen better and I don't really need them so much anymore. But talking about that you're trying to apply NVC or methods that help to connect with the other already opens up empathy usually. Also some days I connect more, and sometimes I do less. Sometimes I trap myself that I'm not really wanting to talk just to be angry and make point but after some time I'm just like 'What the heck am I even doing' this is not gonna help at all. And then I switch to listen mode, and try to express my worries and try to find a connection. It is practice but it made my life a lot better.