I'm okay at it now. I do have my lapses, at times. I have to make a concerted effort to listen and to empathize with other people. The empathy, by the way, is usually genuine, since I've experienced a lot in my 53 years of life. I could put myself in other people's places.
I used to have a tendency to impose my interests upon others., without listening too much to what the other person had to say. When I had less experience, I was not able to empathize too well--and I didn't know how to show empathy/sympathy too well. I did not know when the other person was bored with me. I did listen to others pertaining to my difficulties--I was conscious that they were difficulties that had to be addressed.