Emotional intelligence (EQ) is a form of intelligence that affects all humans and refers to an individual’s response to their own and others’ emotions. A person with high EQ can understand and respond appropriately to social situations, while those with low EQ may misunderstand or ignore emotions. EQ can be tested and improved with practice.
When we talk about a person’s intelligence, we usually think of his knowledge or ability to acquire knowledge. However, there are many different aspects of intelligence, including problem solving, artistic intelligence, reasoning ability, and creative intelligence. Emotional intelligence or “EQ” is a form of intelligence that extends to and affects all human beings.
Emotions, as many know, are a powerful tool for motivating actions. When someone does something we don’t fully understand, they may tell us to “walk a mile in my shoes.” This is because emotion very often overrides reason and causes outsiders to think that one is acting in irrational ways. A person with adequate emotional intelligence appreciates the existence and power of emotions and sees their need in situations that others might find unreasonable.
EQ refers to the effectiveness of an individual’s response to their own feelings or emotions and those of others. A person with high emotional intelligence is highly skilled at understanding and responding appropriately to the nuances of social situations. An emotionally intelligent person can use his or her understanding of emotions in harmony with good reasoning skills to make reasonable decisions while maintaining good relationships.
A person with low emotional intelligence is likely to misunderstand, deny, or ignore the impact of human emotion that is present in virtually every social situation. A person with alexithymia, a severe state of low EQ, lacks the verbal ability to express emotions or to describe emotions in others. Those who struggle with alexithymia report to psychologists that they feel no emotions at all, as well as a lack of dreams, fantasies, and creative imagination.
Emotional intelligence, like other aspects of intelligence, is found across a broad spectrum. Similar to a test for a person’s intelligence quotient (IQ), the level or score of EQ can be determined and analyzed for individual people. These tests aim to show how a person responds to the feelings of others, as well as how he understands his own, how he copes with social situations and the appropriateness of his response through a series of questions that mimic real life circumstances.
Interestingly, unlike other forms of intelligence, some researchers believe that emotional intelligence can be taught or coached. They believe that with practice, a person can replace previous unintelligent behaviors with more appropriate ones and thus improve their interactions with others and their quality of life.
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