There is a huge difference between listening and just hearing someone. Hearing to me is a function of the eardrum relating sound to the auditory nerves. In other words, some one can physically hear you but are they really "listening".

I am sure we can all confess to drifting off at times when someone is either repeating themselves or perhaps babbling from an excess of drink or other substance. These though are very different than when it is someone who is trying to actually communicate. Believe it or not, even with a periodic "uh huh" or "okay" the other person often knows when you are truly not listening.

I think many relationships suffer when the art of listening is either not practiced or is ignored. Whether it is parent/child, among spouses or any other relationship failure to truly listen is one of the worst breakdowns in communication.

So often you may hear "I never saw that coming" when warning signs are ignored. The simple answer may have been that there was nothing to see, you should have just listened.