Abstract
Principled negotiation relies on a set of assumptions about rationality, respectful dialogue, and attempts to reach equilibrium where both sides achieve some desired ends at the lowest cost possible in the circumstances. However, international negotiation is often characterized by a wide range of distortions in thinking, including personalizing, labeling, discounting the positives, catastrophic thinking, and fortune-telling. Negotiators may become stuck by their assumptions and rules and may be biased by core beliefs about self and others. A specific style of negotiation is identified—the egocentric/narcissistic negotiation style. The problematic cognitive appraisals and strategy of this negotiation style often result in egocentric/narcissistic negotiators overestimating their own position and underestimating the position of the opposition. Historical examples illustrate these limitations: the events leading to World War I, the Versailles Treaty, German grandiosity in waging World War II, the Vietnam War, and the current conflict between America and Iran over nuclear weapons. Specific interventions to counter narcissistic distortions and strategies are offered.
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Leahy, R.L. (2015). Impediments and Strategies in Negotiating: A Cognitive Therapy Model. In: Galluccio, M. (eds) Handbook of International Negotiation. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-10687-8_18
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-10687-8_18
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