If you finish other people’s sentences, you’re mostly just finishing your own.

Jumping in feels like connection, like proving you are with them. What actually happens is that you replace their ending with the one you predicted, and the two are rarely the same. They now have a choice between correcting you and letting it stand, and most people let it stand, which means you never find out what they were going to say.

Try leaving a full beat of silence when someone pauses mid-sentence. They are usually choosing a word, not asking for help. The endings you were about to supply are worth comparing against the ones they actually pick, and the difference is where you learn something.