Studies have revealed that the average person passes about 70% of his or her active day in verbal communication, 45 percent of which is dedicated to listening. The percentage goes down to 25% for those who have not received a specific training in this capacity.
A big part of the difficulty in listening comes from the fact that the mind can listen quicker than a person can talk.
The average person listens at a speed of 400,600 words per minute but can say only 200-300 words per minute.
Therefore during conversation the mind wanders and thinks of other things.