There is a concept in negotiations known as “anchoring”. It can actually be beneficial to put forth the first number, although at a extreme advantage to yoursel

There is a concept in negotiations known as “anchoring”. It can actually be beneficial to put forth the first number, although at a extreme advantage to yourself (high or low). By doing that, you set an anchor at that offer and the other party will see you as being compromising/them getting a break with anything you concede from that point. It’s a hard ball negotiating tactic and deliberately doing it is ethically questionable. However, people offering advice to the contrary is a bit misguided in my opinion and made up of a bunch of people convinced they got a great deal when the other party conceded their position :-).