Seeing both sides of the issue

Your roommate has a valid reason to be upset: the room was really dirty. On the other hand, your problems matter, too: you're busy and you feel like you're being attacked about this. So in this case, you had to listen to the problems your roommate had, not just what your problems were. But being fair doesn't mean that you have to always accept everybody's criticism. There are times when you really do have to stand up for yourself. The thing is to learn when to accept or reject criticism.

Always try to think about the problem from the other person's point of view, there might be things worth listening to. Ask yourself, What is the other person thinking? While nobody is right all the time, people are rarely completely wrong. When you work to achieve your goals, the best way to succeed is to balance your needs with the needs of other people while staying true to yourself.