one prevailing theory within psychology said that, in order to understand others—and persuade them to listen to us—we should engage in what is known as perspective taking: We should try to see a situation from the other person’s perspective and show them we empathize. Psychology journals noted that “to communicate effectively, we must adopt the perspective of another person both while speaking and listening.” Textbooks taught that “perspective taking not only fosters greater interpersonal understanding” but also “constitutes a vital skill for very powerful negotiators.”
