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STEFAN AARNIO

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painted of these $5 negotiators may appear to be an inaccurate representation of humanity. These small-time negoitators were only negoiating for $5 at a time; imagine how they would act negotiating for a $5,000 item or $500,000 item. Would their behavior be magnified with more lying, cheating, and stealing? The likely answer is yes. The way a man treats one dollar is the same way he treats a million dollars.

Throughout history great generals and leaders of men have understood human nature and, subsequently, how to negotiate. The Great Wall of China is visible from space and was supposidly built to fend of a specific group of raiders called the Huns. The Huns were very skilled mounted archers who would storm into a town or fortification on horseback and fire volley after volley of arrows at their enemies. The Chinese, wishing to keep the Huns out of their territory, built the great wall to keep the Huns out, so they travelled West. At the same time, the Roman Empire was splitting into two smaller empires as it began to decline. The Roman Empire, which formerly ruled all of Europe, was now separated into two smaller empires—east and west. Atilla the Hun was the famous leader of the Huns at the time and was so feared and had such a reputation for brutality that entire towns and cities would surrender as he approached their walls and would pay him tribute of gold and silver to go away without shedding blood. Over the years Atilla was hired by the Eastern Empire to attack the Western Empire and then was hired by the Western Empire to attack the Eastern. Through his mercinary military career Atilla and the Huns became very rich through their people’s only industry—war. Along with great riches from sacking towns and intimidating them, eventually the Huns were awarded their own parcel of land that was later named Hungary. By being fearless warriors and having a fearsome reputation, a nomadic people with no industries other than war, the Huns were able to carve a permanent piece of land for themselves out of the landscape of Europe that exists to this day. Atilla the Hun was a great negotiator, and although he used force, intimdiation, and power to get what he wanted, he was able to get the gold, land, and slaves that he wanted from a much larger and more powerful enemy than he was by leveraging his reputation, his skill for diplomacy, and by remaining uncommitted to any one side.

Alexander the Great was another one of history’s great negotiators and great military leaders. By age thirty, Alexander had conquered the entire