"Check yourself."
How many times have you sat down with someone and they tell you of a story or scenario of what they're going through and you respond with something like "...yeah the same thing happened to me..." and then you went on to tell them about your experience. Yes, it is a way to conversate but it is also a way to make everything about you.
Or something else that may happen is that someone is confiding in you about something that is bothering them but in your reality what they're worried about seems so trivial and you go to say something to try and make them feel better but in fact it comes out as something that is of your opinion and may actually insult them.
And finally my favorite. Forgetting my audience when I speak. I may be sharing a story or experience, followed by my passionately strong opinion and completely forget who I'm talking to. A real foot in mouth situation.
What do these scenarios have to do with each other? Check yourself and do it constantly. Check your ego. Every time you have a strong opinion it's your ego that is wanting the attention. When your ego comes out you are seeking attention for only yourself and it becomes a one sided conversation. Be aware of your audience and try and see things their way when they are speaking to you. I used to think that one of my strongest traits is that I speak my mind. But now that I practice checking myself a bit more I realize that a stronger trait is always keeping my mind open but knowing when to keep my mouth shut. As a result I have learned more about not only who I'm talking to but just humanity in general. Say less and understand more.