Proverbs 18:13

13He who answers a matter before he hears it,
It is folly and shame to him.
-Proverbs 18:13

I remember being in school and there being that kid whose hand would be up ready to answer before the question was even fully asked. Some teachers would just continue to give the question, but the clever teachers would put the kid in their place and allow them to try to answer a half asked question. Only on the rarest occasion would the kid answer correctly. The vast majority of the time the kid would be left embarrassed for trying to answer before hearing the whole question.

While this is a rather elementary example, I see the same thing happening on a regular basis. Perhaps the most critical failure in communication comes from not listening properly. Far too often we are trying to prepare our own answer instead of hearing a matter in its fullness. Learn to listen rather than just answer, even before a whole matter is heard, lest you bear your own folly and shame.