In a hectic world where technology is evolving at a faster rate, where artificial intelligence (AI) and robots are able to handle basic humans tasks, where conflicts and wars routinely break out, and where long-term relationships seem to be harder to maintain, emotional intelligence is more important than ever.

Emotional Intelligence (EI) or Emotional Quotient (EQ) refers to an individuals capability to understand, manage, and use their own emotions and those of the people around them in positive ways.

Emotional intelligence is the ability to distinguish between different feelings and identify and understand them to communicate effectively, empathize with others, relieve stress, conquer challenges, and defuse conflict.

American psychologist and science journalist Daniel Goleman is one of the most inventive writers on the topic of emotional intelligence. In his book Emotional Intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ, the author argues that EI is twice as important as IQ (Intelligence Quotient).

IQ is relatively a fixed intelligence while EI includes behavioral traits that can be learned and improved for significant benefits, from personal happiness and well-being to career success, he underlines.

Goleman defines EI in five key categories:

Self-awareness: Self-evaluation, understanding your emotions, and recognizing how they affect your thoughts, behavior, and the people around you. Self-awareness helps you have a clear picture of your strengths and weaknesses and allow you to feel more confident and fulfilled.

Self-regulation: The ability to be in control of your emotions, impulses, or disruptive thoughts. People who self-regulate are flexible and adapt easily to changes and situations, and they are great at managing conflict and taking responsibility. Self-regulation can help you think before you act, allowing you to be more thoughtful without compromising your values.

Self-motivation: The ability to self-motivate, determine what motivates you, and achieve self-gratification without waiting for validation or praise from others. People who have high emotional intelligence are usually motivated and work consistently towards their goals, and are highly productive and effective in everything they do.

Empathy: The ability to recognize and identify other peoples feelings, wants, needs, and viewpoints and how to respond to them in social situations. Empathy helps you understand the emotions of others even if they are not obvious. It allows you to listen well, judge fairly, avoid stereotypes, and give constructive feedback.

Social skills: The ability to use your understanding of others emotions to build better relationships and connect with people using social skills such as listening and verbal and nonverbal communication. People that use social skills are usually friendly and easy to talk to. They are diplomatic in nature and experts at managing conflicts and helping others succeed.

The importance of emotional intelligence

The importance and benefits of emotional intelligence are immense, both professionally and personally. EI improves relationships, confidence, and communication skills to achieve academic and professional success.

Emotional intelligence is important in forming and developing peoples growth, which is why psychologists have suggested teaching EI in schools Emotionally intelligent children grow up to become emotionally intelligent adults and productive and compassionate members of society.

Some benefits of strong emotional intelligence include:

Better communication

Having high emotional intelligence improves communication, allowing you to express yourself clearly while staying calm in difficult situations. Strong communication skills will earn you respect and appreciation from others.

Being a good communicator helps you persuade and influence others, solve problems effectively, and have better and stronger relationships either in the workplace or personal life.

Good communication in a company helps maintain a peaceful work environment with energetic employees that get along with and respect one another, enabling longlasting professional success.

Teamwork

Highly intelligent people recognize their strengths and weaknesses, and they always put others into consideration, making them great communicators in a team. They are able to respect and value their coworkers input and points of view while listening in a positive way, building trust with their peers.

Having high EI also helps individuals be confident and open to share their own ideas without controlling the teams dynamic to get what they want, as they prefer to work in teams to increase creativity and promote ideas to help achieve the teams goals.

Adaptability

Emotional intelligence helps you adapt and adjust to new situations easily, even if they are difficult or unfamiliar, without feeling frustration or any other negative emotion resulting from the change.

People with high EI are open to change and can manage the stress, anxiety, and other challenges that come with it. Emotionally intelligent people make change an opportunity for success and growth while instilling trust and confidence in others by helping them through these changes, as well.

Leadership

Great leaders are emotionally intelligent people. They are considered, thoughtful, strong communicators, and respectful of others. They are able to understand their emotions and others thoughts, feelings, and actions and determine how to influence them and inspire them positively.

Having a deep understanding of your own and others emotions can help you be in control of your life and have a better connection with those around you, nurturing stronger relationships built on clear communication, trust, and a positive attitude.

Motivation

Understanding and managing your emotions can have a positive impact on your life. You will know how to deal with conflicts and difficult situations, leading to an increase in motivation and productivity.

Emotionally intelligent people believe that they are in control over their own lives. They are often optimistic, hard-working, and driven by a sense of ambition to be successful, no matter what obstacles they may face.

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The Personal and Professional Importance of Emotional Intelligence - Morocco World News