Emotional intelligence – what is it and what are the characteristics of emotionally intelligent people?

Emotional intelligence is not something that will ensure our success or save us from problems at work, but it definitely helps us to connect with other people. The level of emotional intelligence is very important for functioning in society.

What is emotional intelligence?

Date emotional intelligence appeared in psychology in the 90s. Peter Salovey and John Mayer then created the concept emotional intelligencewhich includes both emotional and social competences. In the most general terms, this concept can be understood as a set of skills thanks to which we are able to recognize emotions your own and other people in given situations and understand individual social relationships. It is the ability to deal with your own feelings, control them and influence them on others. It is also about proper self-esteem, i.e. awareness of personal limitations or possibilities. It’s from emotional intelligence a given person depends to what extent he will be able to understand information not expressed directly by the environment.

This psychological concept can be studied by qualified specialists using psychometric tools, including: Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQ), Multifactor Emotional Intelligence Scale (MEIS), Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) or the Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (KIE).

Features of emotionally intelligent people

Who are tall people EQ? What features do they have?

  1. optimism – they infect with their optimism, do not care about things that are beyond their control, do not lose their energy on them;
  2. full emotional awareness – they can adequately identify and name their emotions, delve into their own emotional states;
  3. assertiveness – they have their own opinion and express it, even against the majority; know how to set boundaries and stick to them;
  4. correct self-esteem – they know their value and constantly strengthen their self-confidence; they know what their possibilities and limitations are, what they should work on and what they should develop;
  5. high self-control – they know how they react to any stressful situations, what they can expect from each other then and how to minimize the influence of their emotions on their behavior;
  6. developed empathy – they perceive the emotions of others and try to understand them; pay attention to the body language of interlocutors; they always show concern and willingness to cooperate;
  7. high conscientiousness – they devote all their attention to the goal they are going to achieve, they are happy with even the small effects of their work;
  8. adaptability – they are resistant to changing conditions and can quickly adapt to them;
  9. mature leadership and skilful cooperation – become a model for others and help them willingly; they are an important part of the team, they always make sure that the group is successful.

Emotional literacy

If anyone has any shortcomings in terms of emotional intelligencemay have difficulties in functioning in society, be aggressive, become addicted or depressed. Even highly educated people may not be successful because they are irrational and cannot control their own emotions. Currently, employers are more interested in the ability to cooperate, deal with stress, conscientiousness or assertiveness than in education.

Emotional Intelligence – Exercise

According to most psychologists emotional intelligence level it is not genetically shaped, therefore EQ can be developed and shaped throughout life.

Exercise emotional intelligence – people with a lower level EQ they should first and foremost slow down the pace of life as much as possible in their situation. If you work too long during the week and give out negative feelings on the weekends emotionsyour relations with others will not be repaired quickly. When we learn to recognize and name our own emotions and express them properly, we will understand other people’s feelings.

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