Empathetic Listening Without Agreeing
Launch library · evergreen read
An interviewer can convey genuine understanding of why a subject feels the way they do without endorsing the position itself, and learning to hold that distinction is essential for interviews that touch on contested or difficult views the interviewer may not personally share. Doing this convincingly requires real practice, since a forced version rarely feels genuine to the subject.
Empathy, in this sense, is about accurately understanding a subject's perspective from the inside, not about validating it as correct. A subject who senses genuine attempts at understanding, rather than either agreement or judgement, tends to explain their reasoning more fully than one who feels either dismissed or flattered.
The discipline required is considerable, particularly on topics where the interviewer holds a strong private view. Setting that view aside for the length of the conversation, while still listening with real care, is one of the more demanding aspects of the craft. Setting aside a personal view for the length of a conversation is harder than it sounds, yet it pays off consistently.