I'll throw out at least one selfish, utilitarian-ish reason why understanding of contrary viewpoints still matters: if you don't have a theory of mind that at l

I'll throw out at least one selfish, utilitarian-ish reason why understanding of contrary viewpoints still matters: if you don't have a theory of mind that at least somewhat tracks an adversary, you will probably lose whatever competition you're in against them, unless they're even worse at empathy. In complicated political games, from presidential horse races to office promotions, predicting the actions of others and having a guess as to how they may react in different situations is extremely important. So even if compromise is indeed impossible, understanding where they are coming from is usually vital to beating them. Whoever "they" are. There is also the personal growth angle, but sadly, that doesn't seem to be compelling to a significant fraction of folks.