Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is a strength; mastering yourself is true power. If you realize that you have enough, you are truly rich" - Lao Tzu
Emotional intelligence is the buzz word in the psychology, business & HR world today. The EQ, as emotional intelligence is commonly referred to, is based on personal development and social competence.
Personal development implies the ability to understand oneself which helps us to be more self-aware. Social competence refers to the understanding of other's behaviors, moods & motives & responding accordingly. It is said that a high emotional intelligence is really necessary for success. It determines how successful one would be in careers and relationships.
The post below explains why is it more important to become more emotionally intelligent.
Self awareness
This is the most important benefit of having or developing a higher emotional intelligence. Your emotional intelligence will help you to know and understand yourself better- this way, you will have a clear idea of your strengths and weaknesses. You would know which path is right for you and which companion would actually be meaningful to your life. Thus, you would be able to avoid unrealistic expectations and crazy risks that are common for people with lack of self-introspection. When you have a clarity of yourself, you can understand your true calling or potential and live the life that you want. In simple words, a higher emotional intelligence makes you a tad more powerful than others.
Good self-control
People with higher emotional intelligence have better self-control. Hence they are able to regulate & adapt their behavior as per the needs or challenges of the hour- in every day, life, work & social situations. When you can control your emotions, your reactions are more thoughtful which helps to create a better image of yourself. Most importantly, people who are self-controlled are always able to make better-informed decisions as they don't act on impulse.
Abilbity to motivate & influence others
As mentioned earlier, emotional intelligence is also based on the ability to comprehend others' thoughts and responding accordingly. It's an amazing power and would be helpful both in your office and home. When you know how others will take or react to a statement or decision, you can easily mold your behavior or action accordingly. This way, you can make the matter more presentable to them so that it is taken up & accepted readily. rnThus, it is said that a higher emotional intelligence immediately enhances your power to motivate and influence others. We are social beings and no matter how independent we are, we always have to depend on others to help us in our tasks. In such a situation, it's just great if you can motivate others to perform the tasks for you and that too at their own will. Now, of course, don't take it as mere manipulation- you can rather conceive it as a power to inspire others towards a positive goal such as building a great teamwork.
Better consistency
Yes, a higher emotional intelligence implies better consistency in your life. When you are so aware of yourself, you would be able to understand the things or incidents more clearly. You won't ask "why me" when something bad happens. Rather you would be quick to detect your mistakes from the failure and would never repeat the same in the second action that would definitely lead you to success. You won't get blinded by emotions and you would be able to make your decisions based on a better rational, logical and informed approach. Thus, you will experience a more balanced life than others.
Higher EQ means more confidence
Higher emotional intelligence means better confidence in oneself. It's because, when you are high in EI, you know what you are best at and hence you would be confident enough to live the life your way- once you have realized your true calling. You won't be bogged down by others' remarks as you will know what's best for you.
Helps you to be more empathetic
As higher emotional intelligence is related to social competence, it enables you to be more empathetic towards others. You will be able to fathom others' needs which would, in turn, make you more understanding & caring towards them. When the other person finds you understanding towards him, he will return the same by being more devoted and more meaningful to you.
More successful
People with higher emotional intelligence are usually more confident, consistent, adaptive and more focused- all of which help them to be more successful in life than others.rnTips to increase your emotional intelligencernThe good part is that emotional intelligence can be increased with practice.
Observe your feelings
You should try to observe your feelings whenever you experience an emotional reaction- it could be anger or happiness or bitterness. Try to analyze why you are feeling so in that particular situation and gradually you will be able to connect closely with your emotions. When you know the cause of your reaction and are aware of your emotions, you would be able to control and act accordingly, as per the need of the situation.
Observe your actions
Along with practicing emotional awareness, you must pay heed to your actions and behaviors as well. Observe how to act while experiencing certain situation or emotions- & how it's affecting you. If it's affecting your productivity, communication with other people & overall well-being, you need to check your actions. By observing each and every such act, you would be able to practice better self-control that will only make you a better person.
Learn to be more responsible towards your actions and feelings
You should learn to be more responsible towards your actions and feelings. Remember, when you are acting in a certain way, say lashing out, you are the one doing it and nobody else is doing that. So, you have to take account of that ill behavior. You have to try to understand how others are feeling by your behavior and this social competence will gradually enable you to check unwanted outbursts- making you more emotionally intelligent. rnFinally, emotional intelligence is not something that can be achieved overnight. You have to keep on practicing it for a better life ahead.