James 1:19-20
This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.
Mom used to always say, "God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason." That reason is apparently because God wants us to be quick to hear and slow to speak. He also wants us to be slow to anger but if we get the first two right, the third will take care of itself.
The rub is that the first two are awfully hard.
They only work if they are both done right. You can be quick to hear. That's easy enough because the quicker you hear, the quicker you can reply and the quicker you can reply, the quicker you can win the argument.
You can also be slow to speak, but if you are also slow to hear the other side then attitudes and prejudices will still remain. So the two have to be done together.
Hearing must come first without thought of reply and when the speaking does come, it must come after careful contemplation of what was heard.
When that is how we have conversations with each other, we will find ourselves slower to anger and the righteousness of God being achieved.