"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!"

None of us likes to be reprimanded because any form of criticism, at the very least, implies the need for correction. Just the sound of that word, correction, smacks of all kinds of things we tend to resist. Even as children we seem to have an innate resistance to anyone, parents and siblings too, who always seem to overlook our good but never miss an opportunity to emphasize our flaws.
Solomon wrote - "The right word at the right time is like a custom-made piece of jewelry, and a wise friend's timely reprimand is like a gold ring slipped on your finger. Reliable friends who do what they say are like cool drinks in sweltering heat - refreshing." Proverbs 25:11-13 MSG
"Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man's rebuke to a listening ear." NIV
Communication is much more than one person talking and one listening. The Latin origin of our English word meant "a meeting of the minds". What lies beneath and around that "meeting" can derail the whole process. Without going into all the boring, technical details, just know that communication (meeting of minds) requires a dual commitment that flows both ways. Both have to work at it for the benefit of the other.
Solomon's words seem to imply that a wise person, even when he/she feels intimidated by a rebuke, understand they only learn and grow by heeding the wise advice of a friend. To assume I never need correction is a juvenile self image that we must outgrow - if we are to have a successful life. To heed a reprimand from a friend is Solomon's equivalent to receiving a costly gift that we wear proudly.
Change is nearly always the result of some form of conflict. As unpleasant as it can often be, conflict isn't always a bad thing IF there is a meeting of the minds. So, always carefully weigh a rebuke honestly before reacting to it impulsively.
One thing that has helped me with this challenge is to pray during an uncomfortable exchange, asking the Holy Spirit to help me HEAR both the words and intent of the speaker and give me the right words to speak. He blesses and blesses again. HALLELUJAH!