Speak Less. Listen More.

Here.

I particularly like the point that in the Old Testament, when friends visited an aggrieved man, Job, they did a wise thing. They just listened to him.

What the piece doesn't mention is that after seven days, they made a mistake. They started talking, offering explanations as to why Job had so much pain in his life. Most of what we palm off on others as wisdom is baloney and, sometimes, hurtful.

Listening is almost always more helpful than speaking. (God, help me to remember that!)