Friend Giskard had the mental abilities I now have for over twenty decades before he passed them to me. He understood very well some of the subtleties of the human mind, better than many humans do. Partner Elijah possessed no such power, but he too had a deep understanding that I admired greatly.

[Daneel falls silent a moment, thinking on hard on both of them, fellow robot and long-dead human.]

It is a skill. It is one I aspire to.