Four-Ears Model

Every message has four sides: Factual Information, Self-Revealing, Relationship, and Appeal. Misunderstandings arise when sender and receiver use different ears.

Friedemann Schulz von Thun Miteinander reden (1981)

What is the Four-Ears Model?

The Communication Square (also: Four-Ears Model or Four Sides of Communication Model) is the best-known communication model in the German-speaking world. In 1981 Friedemann Schulz von Thun observed: every statement carries four messages at the same time.

Factual Information
What am I informing about? The pure factual content.
Self-Revealing
What am I revealing about myself? Feelings, values, needs.
Relationship
What do I think of you? How do we stand with each other?
Appeal
What do I want you to do?

Most conflicts arise when a message is received on a different "ear" than it was intended. Anyone who knows the model can communicate more consciously and defuse misunderstandings.

Message analysis

Choose an example message or enter your own to see the four sides.

Inspiriert von Friedemann Schulz von Thun — Four-Ears Model / Communication Square

Applied to

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Trivia

  • Practically every German learns the Four-Ears Model in school -- it is a fixed part of the German-language curriculum.
  • The "Miteinander reden" book series has sold more than 5 million copies.
  • Schulz von Thun is professor emeritus at the University of Hamburg and founded the Schulz von Thun Institute for Communication there.
  • The model builds on ideas from Karl Buehler (Organon Model) and Paul Watzlawick.