The Flea Market Negotiator - Part 7

Empathy – The Superpower in Disguise

Let’s be real—when you hear the word empathy, what comes to mind?

Soft music? A candle-lit yoga studio? Someone whispering, “I feel your energy…”?

Yeah, no. Let’s put the incense down and get practical.

Empathy isn’t fluff. It’s not just for therapists, poets, and people who cry during shampoo commercials. Empathy is a superpower. The ability to look at someone else, see where they’re standing, and say, “Hmm. If I were in your shoes, I might also be freaking out about this price.”

In negotiation, empathy is like x-ray vision. It lets you see beneath the surface: What does this person really want? What are they afraid of losing? What are they holding back? When you know these things, you stop reacting and start responding.

Take flea market negotiations, for example. Someone's haggling hard over a dusty set of encyclopedias from 1983. You could assume they’re just cheap. But empathy makes you ask: Why is this guy so attached to getting these books for two bucks? Maybe he’s buying for his grandchild. Maybe he’s on a tight budget. Maybe he thinks information expired in 1984. Who knows? But if you pause and empathize, you speak to the need behind the words.

And let me tell you—people don’t always say what they mean.

Sometimes “It’s too expensive” means “I’m scared I’m being taken advantage of.”

Sometimes “I’ll think about it” means “I don’t trust you… yet.”

Empathy helps you decode that. It lets you speak not just to the mouth, but to the heart.

But here’s the twist: empathy also helps you hold on to your own identity. It’s not becoming the other person. It’s understanding them without losing yourself. A lot of people think empathy makes you weak—easy to manipulate. Not true. It makes you wise. You understand the emotions in the room, but you choose your actions with clarity, not guilt.

So how do you build it?

Simple. Start by asking more questions. Listen with your face, not just your ears. Be curious—not to respond, but to understand. And most importantly, try putting yourself in the other person's shoes without judging the size or the smell.

In life and in negotiation, empathy is what separates good communicators from great ones. It’s what turns deals into partnerships, and arguments into understanding.

And trust me—if you’re a parent, partner, or professional—you’ll thank yourself for learning