6 Interesting Facts About Emotional Intelligence (EQ) You Should Know!
Last Update on July 23, 2021 : Published on July 23, 2021
Emotional intelligence is the innate ability to channel our emotions and apply them to our daily lives. In this article, I’ve compiled for you some interesting facts about emotional intelligence and how you can use your EQ to improve your overall well-being.
Emotional intelligence or EI is one of the most sought skills that keep us engaged and help us solve problems, not only our own but of those around us too.
Emotions are something that drives us to act and to feel. Without emotions, we are merely a husk of ourselves, going through the motions without really feeling or experiencing them.
In the 1990s, Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer first coined the term “emotional intelligence”. The term essentially means, “the ability to understand our thoughts, feelings, and emotions to make better and smarter decisions”
Here are 6 interesting facts about emotional intelligence that you probably weren’t aware of!
6 Facts About Emotional Intelligence
Fact #1: Emotional Intelligence Is A Real Deal
Many people, some I know, don’t know the difference between EQ and IQ. They believe that emotional intelligence is nothing serious and worth understanding. Not true! The concept of emotional intelligence is centuries old.
For example, EQ can be reflected in sentences such as: “You must listen, speak slowly, and be slow to anger”. This is just one example. Many philosophical theories are built around keeping in mind self-awareness and EQ.
Fact #2: Empathy And Emotional Intelligence Are Two Separate Skills
I remember watching the movie ‘Marley & Me’ for the first time and crying at the end of it. Even though I have a slight fear of dogs and have never owned a pet, I could relate to that movie. This kind of behavior does not mean that I have a higher EQ. It could be a sign of empathy.
Being empathetic means you understand and feel others emotions. However, empathy can be misused too. While being an empathetic person is a valuable trait, it is only one skill. Every individual is unique with an equally unique emotional response.
EQ requires you to understand how emotions work and then knowing when and how to manage those emotions to reach your goals.
Fact #3: Not All Leaders Have Higher Emotional Intelligence
Although emotional intelligence is good for problem-solving, there is not a guarantee that every leader has a higher intelligence. Despite EQ being a good and healthy skill, there is still a chance that it can be used to bully and emotionally abuse others.
Psychologists have speculated that narcissists and people with ego issues use their EQ skills to manipulate and abuse others.
We cannot control our emotions but we can control how they affect us and how we let them influence our life.
Fact #4: Emotional Intelligence Can Be Improved
Many factors influence your emotions and other’s emotions too. When it comes to understanding emotions and feelings, we don’t have much time to do so. Even if we come across someone who’s going through something we’ve been through, it does not guarantee that we’ll understand their side as we think we can.
One fact about emotional intelligence is that it is not something that you’re born with. It is a skill that can be learned with great determination and lots of practice. How? By practicing self-awareness, increasing empathy, and changing our outlook.
It is one of the most challenging skills to learn but so worth it.
Fact #5: Emotional Intelligence And IQ Are Not The Same Things
Our mind, body, and hearts are tied to each other whether we like to believe it or not. What we do with our bodies ultimately affects our minds and heart. But in this case, what we feel and what we think aka EQ and IQ are not related.
Emotional intelligence is a skill that is more important than IQ. Emotions guide us in making decisions. EQ is more than just common sense too. What we need to keep in mind here is that EQ gives utmost importance to thinking before speaking.
It doesn’t matter if your IQ is high, what matters is that you have an equal or higher EQ than your intelligence quotient.
Fact #6: Higher EQ Equals Higher Job And Life Satisfaction
One of the professors at Miami University of Ohio discovered that EQ is linked with higher job satisfaction. Having a higher emotional intelligence means having the ability to evaluate one’s emotions, thoughts, and feelings, and resolve complex problems keeping in mind the emotional capacity.
Higher EQ means higher levels of empathy, better communication skills, increased social skills, better stress management, better teamwork, leadership, and assertiveness. These skills are what guarantees personal and professional success.
I hope these fun facts about emotional intelligence (EQ) helped clear some common myths about emotional intelligence. For similar content, you can follow us on social media or visit our YouTube channel.
You can also write to us at info@calmsage.com if you’d like to connect with trained and experienced professionals to help improve your Emotional intelligence.
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About The Author
Swarnakshi Sharma
Swarnakshi is a content writer at Calm sage, who believes in a healthier lifestyle for mind and body. A fighter and survivor of depression, she strives to reach and help spread awareness on ending the stigma surrounding mental health issues. A spiritual person at heart, she believes in destiny and the power of Self. She is an avid reader and writer and likes to spend her free time baking and learning about world cultures.
