Notes on book Never Split the Difference

  • Use mirroring and labelling to build rapport and extract information.
  • Good negotiators want to hear “no” — it makes the other party feel in control.
  • Use open-ended calibrated questions starting with “how” or “what” to shift positions.
  • Follow the Ackerman model: start at 65% of your target and raise in decreasing increments.
  • Keep emotions in check and always summarise until you hear “that’s right.”
23 October 2020 · 4 min · Stefano Chiodino

Skeuomorph

  • A skeuomorph is an object that retains design features that are no longer functional.
  • The tiny handle on maple syrup bottles mimics the larger jugs historically used for storage.
  • Other examples include phone icons, candle-shaped light bulbs, and many computer UI elements.
30 June 2020 · 1 min · Stefano Chiodino

Fundamental attribution error

  • The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to over-attribute behaviour to personality rather than circumstances.
  • People underestimate how much situational factors influence others’ actions.
  • This is a well-documented cognitive bias from psychology.
20 May 2020 · 1 min · Stefano Chiodino

Conjunction fallacy

  • The conjunction fallacy is the mistaken belief that specific conditions are more probable than a single general one.
  • Adding conditions can only reduce or maintain probability, never increase it.
  • This is a well-known cognitive bias studied in rationality and decision-making.
23 April 2020 · 1 min · Stefano Chiodino