Positions vs. Interests
Finding what people really need behind what they say they want.
The most famous example in negotiation theory:
Two children are fighting over an orange. Their mother cuts it in half — a fair, position-based solution. But one child wanted the juice to drink, and the other wanted the peel for baking. Both could have gotten 100% of what they needed.
This illustrates the fundamental distinction:
- Positions are what people say they want. "I want the orange." "I want a raise." "We demand sovereignty over this territory."
- Interests are why they want it. Thirst. Financial security. National prestige, resource access, or security guarantees.
Positions are often incompatible. Interests are often reconcilable.
Fisher and Ury's Core Principle
In Getting to Yes, Fisher and Ury argue that the single most important move in negotiation is to shift from positions to interests. Instead of asking "What do you want?" ask "Why do you want it?" and "What would that give you?"
When you understand the underlying interest, you can often find solutions that neither party initially proposed — solutions that satisfy both sides' real needs without requiring either to abandon their core concerns.
