I came to write this. And answering to the child comment, I found tons of value in understanding better human communications. I think as engineers we can start thinking that correct “information” is what is required in interpersonal relationships but alas, humans are the farthest things from robots, we are full of emotions and irrationalities that we often force into “making sense”. Understanding others might be one of the greatest powers there is, is what makes deals, closes sales, raises money, moves nations (which is just a bunch of humans) and changes the course of history (I’m thinking about Hamilton as I write this)
As someone who just read this for the first time, can I ask how you managed to derive meaningful value from the book? I suspect that my situation where I talk to maybe 2 people a week with any regularity (aside from recruiters or hiring managers) is doing a bit of a grok-block.
Or, I suppose, a different way to ask that is: How did this book help you become a better person? I have recently read the book and could see nuggets of wisdom within it but turning theory into practical application hits a snag.
I think before I read this book I believed that rationality ruled everything and that if I had the best ideas or the most authority I would be the most successful employee.
What this book taught me is that everything is about relationships. The quicker you can develop a rapport or the better you can get on with people the more effective you will be. I think it also helps you understand that 99% of people don't set out to be arseholes. In their mind they're the good guy. I think if you remember that and can work out why they think that it will help you understand another person's motivation and be better able to collaborate with them.