If you wish to cultivate others' thoughts, don't think too highly of your own.

Few people are good at helping others to share and develop their own thoughts, but it is something I truly wish to do well. I tend to think that most people speak too much to get to this point. For most of us, the fewer times we speak, the better. Often, when someone is sharing, if you chime in or mention a similar me-too experience, this doesn't actually help you to connect with that person. Rather, it may simply derail their thought process, minimize the importance of what they're sharing, or cut off their self-discovery. Instead of fanning the flame, if you try too hard to connect with them, you can actually quench it.