[BeetleB]

Could you clarify which aspect of it is manipulative?

The commenter's advice is emphasized quite a bit in negotiations books/courses. If you want the other person to listen to you, it really does help if you can summarize his stance in his voice - such that he will say "This guy gets what I'm trying to say."

Probably the majority of heated discussions I've witnessed is where they are talking past one another, and as a 3rd party observer it's very clear neither side understands where the other party is coming from, and they waste most of the time addressing things the other person isn't saying.

NVC is less explicit about it, but the principle is there:

"So it sounds like you're frustrated because the script takes an hour to run and you believe it can run in 10 minutes, thus saving you some time?"

(Feeling: Frustrated, Needs: Competence and efficiency, Observation: Takes an hour to run)