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I used to negotiate really hard. Barely left a drop for the other side.

It's a losing strategy.

I found I was much better off if I could give the other side real wins.

Especially in repeated games.

Game theory says you are leaving something on the table when you do that. But we are all humans first and optimized game theory machines second :)

Game theory is great for zero-sum situations. Most negotiations are not.

Game theory for repeated games actually says you want to seem like a fair or generous player so that the other side doesn't defect and keeps wanting to play the game with you.

Single-round best strategy is squeeze and defect.

What do you think negotiation is?

Good negotiators find trades that are valuable for both sides of the table. That's how you negotiate well.

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