I understand your sentiment, however, I disagree. Acknowledging differing perspectives to your own is something that is beneficial to discussion and mutual unde

I understand your sentiment, however, I disagree. Acknowledging differing perspectives to your own is something that is beneficial to discussion and mutual understanding. My wife and I just went through our first session of counseling. The first instructions we received were to begin doing exactly this - before sharing our opinion or feelings, first acknowledge the feelings or statement of the other person, making sure that they feel heard. Sure, sociopaths can use a similar tactic to manipulate others. Intent matters here. Have you happened to speak to someone before and felt like they didn't actually listen to you?