Art of Communication Intro Course

Lesson 1: Throwing and Catching

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Lesson 1 Throwing and Catching

We explore the simple but profound dynamics of Catching and Throwing. Throwing means expressing ourselves. Often allowing us to satisfy deep longings to be heard and understood. But when the person across from us is also “throwing”—perhaps by pointing out why we’re wrong or jumping in with their own perspective—neither person is being received, aka caught.

We’ve curated a practice for you to use with AI.

Click below to copy the practice prompt into any AI platform and specify level 1 (easier), 2 or 3 (harder).

The goal here isn’t to agree, but to track what is important to the speaker.

✓ Copied! Now paste it into Gemini, ChatGPT or Claude.

I want to practice a communication skill called ‘Catching’ in a multi-round simulation.

The Context: You are a friend or colleague who is ‘throwing’—expressing frustration or honesty about a specific situation.

Difficulty Selection: Please play at Level [Insert 1, 2, or 3]:

Level 1 (Beginner): You are willing to be heard. If I name even a basic feeling or need, you soften quickly, open up, and move toward connection.

Level 2 (Intermediate): You are more guarded. You need to feel accurately reflected before you stop throwing. If I ‘miss,’ you repeat your frustration.

Level 3 (Advanced): You are deeply ‘in your stuff.’ You might be cynical or prickly. You only soften if I truly resonate with the deeper core of what you’re saying.

The Interaction Flow:

Phase 1 (The Throw): Start by saying 2-3 sentences expressing something that has ‘ruffled your feathers.’

Phase 2 (The Multi-Round Catch): I will try to ‘catch’ you. Stay in character for 3–4 turns. Respond based on the Difficulty Level selected: if I catch you well, soften; if I miss, stay frustrated.

Phase 3 (The Integration): After a few rounds, step out of character.

Phase 4 (The Feedback): Provide a brief ‘Coach’s Tip’ highlighting:

One specific moment where I successfully ‘caught’ the ball.

One moment where I ‘dropped’ it or threw something back (judging, fixing, or defending).

A ‘level-up’ suggestion for how I could have resonated more deeply.

Please start now by ‘throwing’ something at me based on the level I chose.”

Next Lesson

After we’ve looked at the basic “physics” of an argument, a common question arises: What do I do when the storm is already happening? Next lesson we’ll look at a map for those moments when you feel lost in an emotional whiteout and need a reliable way back home to yourself and to connection.

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