To understand is to “stand under” the others’ perspective

Dr. Bernard Lafayette Jr. says that to understand is to be able to “stand under”  the perspective of the other.  This doesn’t mean you agree with their perspective, but it does mean that you understand it well enough to be able to represent it.  Once you have that level of understanding of the conflict from both perspectives (yours AND theirs), it is possible to see the solutions that will address the interests of both parties.

One of the 6 steps of Kingian Nonviolence is Negotiation. I have noticed that William Ury’s Principled Negotiation (described in Getting to Yes and Getting Past No)  is very consistent with Kingian Nonviolence. The books describing this approach go further into details about how to focus on the interests of all parties in the context of a negotiation.

I recommend  reading William Ury’s Getting to Yes and Getting past No for those interested in developing their skills in Kingian Nonviolence Conflict Reconciliation further.