Principlev1
Before entering a difficult conversation, explicitly
Before entering a difficult conversation, explicitly articulate both your perspective and the other person's perspective, then identify where the two stories diverge as the locus of actual dialogue.
Why This Is a Principle
Grounds to Mental States Are Cognitively Imputable (theory of mind), Egocentric Anchoring in Perspective-Taking (egocentric anchoring), and Cognitive and Affective Empathy Are Distinct (cognitive vs affective empathy). The principle prescribes preparation work: write both stories before the conversation. It's actionable (specific steps), general (applies to any difficult conversation), and addresses the failure mode of entering conversations without understanding the other perspective.