atticus tells scout that you never really understand a person until you climb into his skin and walk arownd in it .what does this mean ?

Atticus wants his children to look beyond rumor, innuendo, and quick judgments. Atticus thinks that each person has a story and we must discover that story and empathize with it before any judgments are made. As in the case with Mrs. Dubose, Atticus wanted his children to see beyond her pain and understand the person inside.