What does this quote mean?

“He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.”

Answering before listening mistakes speed for competence; understanding requires enough restraint to hear the matter before judging it.

Source note: Proverbs 18:13 in the King James Version.

“Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.”

Good judgment starts by hearing more quickly than speaking or reacting, especially when anger is close to the surface.

Source note: James 1:19 in the King James Version, pairing readiness to listen with restraint in speech and anger.

“To err is human; to forgive, divine.”

Error is treated as ordinary human limitation, while forgiveness requires an additional act of generosity.

Source note: An Essay on Criticism, Part II; Pope warns that shallow learning can produce premature confidence before deeper study tempers judgment.

“Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast.”

Speed without judgment can undermine the very goal a person is pursuing, so patience becomes part of effective action.

Source note: Act 2, Scene 3; Friar Laurence urges Romeo to move with greater care.

“He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.”

Judgment includes restraint: choosing the wrong contest can be as damaging as fighting badly once the contest begins.

Source note: The Art of War, Chapter III, among Sun Tzu’s listed essentials for victory.

“When angry, count ten, before you speak; if very angry, an hundred.”

Jefferson’s practical rule inserts a deliberate delay between anger and speech, giving judgment time to return before emotion becomes an irreversible response.

Source note: Thomas Jefferson to Thomas Jefferson Smith, February 21, 1825, Founders Online / National Archives. The sentence is item 10 in a short list of “canons of conduct” sent to his namesake relative; the archive currently labels the transcription an Early Access document rather than a final authoritative edition.