This is OPV (Other People’s Views) in action—not just understanding what others think, but understanding why they must think it.

🎭 Why OPV Matters: Beyond Surface Empathy

We live in an age of performative empathy—quick tweets of support, hashtag activism, surface-level “I hear you” responses. But real perspective-taking has become rarer. We’re trapped in algorithmic echo chambers, surrounded by views that mirror our own, losing the ability to genuinely inhabit different worldviews.

OPV isn’t about being nice. It’s about strategic intelligence. When you truly understand how others see the world, you can:

🔬 The OPV System: Three Levels of Perspective

OPV works through progressively deeper levels of perspective-taking. Most people stop at Level 1. Masters reach Level 3.

Level 1: Position Mapping (What)

Start by mapping what others explicitly say they want or believe:

• Their stated goals and objectives
• Their public positions and arguments
• Their expressed concerns and complaints
• Their proposed solutions

This is just data collection—important, but superficial.

Level 2: Logic Tracing (Why)

Now dig deeper to understand the logic behind their positions:

Level 3: Worldview Immersion (How)

The deepest level—temporarily adopt their entire worldview. Like method acting, you don’t just understand their character, you become it temporarily:

• Values: What do they consider sacred? What trade-offs are unacceptable?
• Assumptions: What do they take as given that you question?
• Experiences: What life experiences shaped their perspective?
• Fears: What keeps them up at night? What future do they dread?
• Hopes: What future do they dream of? What would victory look like?

At Level 3, you don’t just understand their view—you can think with their mind. Like a method actor preparing for a role, you temporarily inhabit their worldview so completely that their choices become logical, even inevitable, from that perspective.

💡 OPV in Action: The Investment Committee

A startup founder needs to convince an investment committee. Here’s how OPV transforms the approach:

Traditional Approach

“Our AI platform revolutionizes supply chain management with cutting-edge technology…”

After Level 1 OPV (Position Mapping)

“I know you’re looking for B2B SaaS with quick ROI and low customer acquisition costs…”

After Level 2 OPV (Logic Tracing)

After Level 3 OPV (Worldview Immersion)

“I’ve been thinking about the committee’s portfolio strategy. You’re not just picking investments—you’re building a thesis about how B2B procurement will evolve. Our platform isn’t just a product; it’s validation of your vision that enterprises will shift from cost-cutting to resilience-building. Here’s how we prove that thesis together…”

Result: The conversation shifts from “convince us” to “let’s explore this together.”

🚀 Advanced OPV: The Perspective Stack

Masters of OPV can hold multiple perspectives simultaneously, creating what de Bono called a “perspective stack”:

The Four-Layer Stack

1. Your Original View: What you initially thought
2. Their Surface View: What they say they think
3. Their Deep View: What they really think and why
4. The Meta View: How both views could be partially right

This creates a three-dimensional understanding where solutions emerge from the intersection of perspectives.

Example: Remote Work Debate

From the Meta View, new solutions emerge: hybrid models, better remote management training, results-based metrics rather than hours-based.

⚡ OPV + Previous Tools: The Power Combination

OPV supercharges every previous tool in your mental models toolkit:

OPV + PMI

Do PMI from multiple perspectives. What’s a Plus for you might be a Minus for them—this reveals why they resist “obviously good” ideas.

OPV + CAF

When using CAF, run the stakeholder analysis through deep OPV. Don’t just list stakeholders—truly understand their worldviews.

OPV + PEDD Model

The PEDD Model becomes more powerful: Pause (check your assumptions), Explore (through their eyes), Discover (shared ground), Decide (what works for all).

⚠ Common OPV Pitfalls and Fixes

⚖ The Empathy-Boundary Balance

Critical Warning: OPV is not about becoming a doormat. Understanding someone’s perspective doesn’t mean accepting harmful behavior or abandoning your principles. Empathy without boundaries leads to exploitation.

The Two-Way Empathy Principle

True OPV includes empathy toward yourself:

• Your Context: What pressures are YOU under? What constraints shape YOUR choices?
• Your Values: What do YOU stand for? What have YOU worked to build?
• Your Needs: What boundaries keep YOU healthy and effective?
• Your Growth: What did it cost YOU to get here? What future are YOU building?

Healthy OPV in Practice

Remember: The most powerful OPV includes compassionate understanding of your own perspective. You are a stakeholder in your own life, deserving the same deep understanding you extend to others.

🎮 Practice Exercises: Building OPV Muscles

Exercise 1: The News Flip

Take a controversial news story. Write three paragraphs:

• How Side A sees it (go beyond slogans to real concerns)
• How Side B sees it (find the logic in their position)
• What both sides actually want (often surprisingly similar)

Exercise 2: The Difficult Person

Think of someone you find frustrating. Apply the three levels:

• Level 1: List their annoying behaviors/positions
• Level 2: Identify their constraints and incentives
• Level 3: Imagine their fears and hopes

Notice how your frustration shifts to understanding (not agreement, but understanding).

Exercise 3: The Sales Call Reversal

Before your next sales call or pitch:

1. List reasons they should say no
2. Identify what saying yes might cost them (politically, financially, personally)
3. Design your pitch to address these hidden concerns

Exercise 4: The Family Mapper

Map a family disagreement using OPV. Create a table showing each person’s:

• Stated position
• Underlying need
• Fear if they don’t get their way
• Potential win-win overlap

Exercise 5: The AI Perspective

Interesting twist: Use OPV on AI systems. When ChatGPT gives you an answer:

• What training might have shaped this response?
• What constraints is it operating under?
• What “view” is it optimizing for?

This builds critical thinking about AI responses.

🌟 The OPV Transformation

Something profound happens when you master OPV. Conflicts become puzzles. Enemies become teachers. “Difficult people” become humans operating under different constraints. You stop trying to win arguments and start solving shared problems.

But the deepest change is this: you realize your own views are just one perspective, shaped by your unique context and constraints. This isn’t relativism—some views are more accurate or ethical than others. But it’s intellectual humility, the foundation of real wisdom.

Signs You’ve Mastered OPV

• ✅ You can argue any side of an issue convincingly
• ✅ People say “you really get me” even when you disagree
• ✅ You find solutions others miss because you see hidden needs
• ✅ Conflicts de-escalate when you enter the conversation
• ✅ You’re curious about opposition rather than threatened by it

📊 Summary: Your Empathy Upgrade

OPV transforms empathy from a feeling to a skill, from sentiment to strategy. In our interconnected world, the ability to truly see through others’ eyes isn’t just nice—it’s necessary.

🎯 Next Steps

You now have three complementary tools: PMI for balanced evaluation, CAF for comprehensive factor awareness, and OPV for deep perspective-taking. Together, they let you see situations in full dimension.

Ready to add direction to your thinking? In the next article, we’ll explore AGO (Aims, Goals, Objectives), which channels all this understanding toward crystal-clear purpose.

But first, practice OPV this week. Choose three situations—a conflict, a negotiation, and a puzzling behavior. Apply the three levels. Watch how understanding transforms possibility.