As we have discussed in another article, there are many types of intelligence. Each of them highlights aspects of the brain and personal competencies that can contribute to personal and professional development.
From improved motor coordination to more analytical and mathematical thinking, types of intelligence showcase the strengths that each individual possesses. Knowing your type of intelligence is essential for making the most of highlighted abilities or for addressing challenges with greater focus.
Among the many types of intelligence that exist is emotional intelligence. As the name suggests, it relates to the ability to recognize and consider our own feelings and those of the people we interact with in our daily lives.
Gain a better understanding of how this intelligence came to be recognized and what its presence means in our lives.
What is this intelligence, after all?
In simple terms, emotional intelligence is the ability to manage emotions and feelings in a way that they can be used to generate greater benefits for your personal and professional life, as well as for the lives of others.
It is an intelligence that allows you to perceive subjective sensations, interpretations of reality, and the impacts that these elements have on your own behavior or on the behavior of individuals with whom we interact.
To understand how it applies practically in life, however, it's important to know its pillars.
The 5 Pillars of Emotional Intelligence
The pillars of emotional intelligence are the guidelines defined by journalist and psychologist Daniel Goleman to explain its functioning. They are:
1. Emotional Self-Awareness
Having a genuine sense of your own feelings and emotions is the primary way to achieve emotional intelligence. It's no coincidence that this is the most important pillar, but attaining it may not be so simple.
Knowing your strengths and weaknesses can be a challenge, and it takes a lot of maturity to face these truths. Therefore, the best way to achieve emotional intelligence is by seeking support from a psychologist.
2. Self-Control
Once you have self-awareness of your emotions, it's time to learn to control them, which can be considered the most challenging part on the path to emotional intelligence.
Here, we're talking about changes in habits and the way you approach problems and make decisions. It's about not reacting impulsively and emotionally, but rather considering them while seeking the best solutions.
Meditation, breathing techniques, or the famous "count to ten" can be very useful techniques for controlling impatience and emotional responses until control becomes an automatic habit.
3. Self-Motivation
Having emotional intelligence, with self-awareness and self-control, requires a bit of self-motivation. Thinking clearly about emotions and how to navigate the best path demands courage, confidence, and focus on goals, and we can't always expect this to come from external sources.
Maintaining a positive mindset, believing in your own abilities, and striving for the best results, just as with self-control, is a constant exercise that can bring many benefits. Not relying on motivation and validation from others ensures independence and much more determination to face challenges.
4. Empathy
It's impossible to know what another person is feeling in the same way you can investigate your own emotions. Nonetheless, considering others' feelings is an essential part of emotional intelligence, and this is where empathy comes into play.
Empathy is about accepting and respecting another person's pain or emotion. It's the ability to relate by caring about what the other person is feeling, how your actions impact or can alleviate the emotions of the people around you.
If you're looking for a simple explanation of empathy, you'll find that it's a stance of being able to put yourself in someone else's shoes without making it about you. It's about perceiving or listening to the pains and concerns and serving as a foundation for finding solutions.
5. Interpersonal Relationships
The last pillar to be developed is the capacity to coexist harmoniously with others even in challenging situations.
Interpersonal relationships depend on empathy and the other pillars, as having a good relationship with people involves considering their feelings and your own, knowing how to control yourself, and not creating dependency relationships in pursuit of motivation and outcomes, but rather fostering cooperation and mutual respect.
Emotional intelligence can be useful in many aspects of personal and professional life. How you develop this intelligence determines how you interact with your clients, family, friends, subordinates, or superiors.
It's no secret that maintaining good relationships with these individuals and many others you'll interact with is essential for reaping the rewards in life.