A compromise you offer early looks generous. The same one offered late looks like losing.

Identical offers mean different things depending on when they arrive. Early, a concession reads as fairness and sets the tone for everything after it. Late, the other side has watched you resist for weeks, so the same words look like you ran out of fight rather than chose peace. Timing decides which of those they hear, not content.

Think about an argument you are in the middle of right now. If you already know what you would eventually settle for, say it this week rather than after another fortnight of friction. You get credit for the same concession at a much lower price.