Learn About Emotional Intelligence
/Emotional Intelligence is the ability to recognize and regulate one's own emotions and to demonstrate empathy and social skill in dealing with the emotions of others.
| AWARENESS | REGULATION | |
|---|---|---|
| SELF | Self Awareness | Self Management |
| OTHERS | Social Awareness | Relationship Management |
Self Awareness is the ability to recognize your own feelings and thoughts, and be familiar and comfortable with your own thought patterns, strengths and weaknesses.
Self Management is the ability to regulate your own emotions, behaviors and impulses in constructive ways.
Social Awareness is the ability to recognize, or empathize with, the feelings and thoughts of others, and understand and be able to anticipate their motivations, concerns and patterns.
Relationship Management is the ability to work well with others, effectively manage conflict, communicate and lead.,
People with a high degree of emotional intelligence have an increased consciousness of their own emotions and are better equipped to regulate their emotions. They also have an increased empathy, or understanding of how others around them feel. This helps them to be more adept at managing relationships. They work well in teams and are often successful in social and business settings.
Conversely, people who have a low emotional intelligence are often less conscious of how their own feelings are affecting their behavior. They are more prone to impulsive action, and suffer from lack of success in reklationship, social and business settings.
In his bestselling book Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ author Daniel Goleman points out that Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is independent from the more commonly known IQ and that EQ + IQ is often a better predictor of individual success than IQ alone.
Goleman points out that the origins of emotions in the human brain are in the limbic system, in the amygdala, whereas the prefrontal cortex, the upper area of the brain behind the forehead, is primarily responsible for IQ.
Because of the way the different functions of the brain have evolved, our primitive emotional responses tend to be quicker and more gratifying whereas our more logical and rational thoughts need more time to develop. This helps to explain why we sometimes act impulsively, then think better of it later.
Goleman argues that, unlike IQ, we can improve our EQ by paying attention to and increasing our awareness of our own emotional patterns and those of others. It is important to do this without judgment or condemning ourselves or others. Instead, it is by developing a more objective awareness of our strengths and weaknesses that we are better equipped to work with them.