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Overview of Emotional Intelligence

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22 views

Overview of Emotional Intelligence

Uploaded by

Rajparna Bhuiyan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Overview of Emotional Intelligence

Adapted from: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-emotional-intelligence-2795423

The ability to express and control our emotions is essential, but so is our ability to understand,
interpret, and respond to the emotions of others. Imagine a world in which you could not
understand when a friend was feeling sad or when a co-worker was angry. Psychologists refer
to this ability as emotional intelligence.

Overview

Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to the ability to perceive, control, and evaluate emotions.

Components

Salovey and Mayer proposed a model that identified four different levels of emotional
intelligence, including emotional perception, the ability to reason using emotions, the ability to
understand emotion, and the ability to manage emotions.

1. Perceiving emotions: The first step in understanding emotions is to perceive them


accurately. In many cases, this might involve understanding nonverbal signals such
as body language and facial expressions.
2. Reasoning with emotions: The next step involves using emotions to promote thinking
and cognitive activity. Emotions help prioritize what we pay attention and react to; we
respond emotionally to things that garner our attention.
3. Understanding emotions: The emotions that we perceive can carry a wide variety of
meanings. If someone is expressing angry emotions, the observer must interpret the
cause of the person's anger and what it could mean. For example, if your boss is acting
angry, it might mean that he is dissatisfied with your work, or it could be because he got
a speeding ticket on his way to work that morning or that he's been fighting with his
wife.
4. Managing emotions: The ability to manage emotions effectively is a crucial part of
emotional intelligence and the highest level. Regulating emotions, responding
appropriately, and responding to the emotions of others are all important aspect of
emotional management.
Examples

There are many examples of how emotional intelligence can play a role in daily life.

Being able to put yourself in someone else's shoes. A large part of emotional intelligence is
being able to think about and empathize with how other people are feeling. This often involves
considering how you would respond if you were in the same situation. People who have strong
emotional intelligence are able to consider the perspectives, experiences, and emotions of
other people and use this information to explain why people behave the way that they do.

Considering a situation before reacting. Emotionally intelligent people know that emotions can
be powerful, but also temporary. When a highly charged emotional event happens, such as
becoming angry with a co-worker over some type of conflict, the emotionally intelligent
response would be to take some time before responding. This allows everyone to calm their
emotions and think more rationally about all the factors surrounding the argument.

Being aware of one's own emotions. Emotionally intelligent people are not only good at
thinking about how other people might feel; they are also adept at understanding their own
feelings. Self-awareness allows people to consider the many different factors that contribute to
their emotions.

Clearly, being emotionally intelligent is important, but what steps can you take to improve your
own social and emotional skills?

Here are some tips.

Listen: If you want to understand what other people are feeling, the first step is to pay
attention. Take the time to listen to what people are trying to tell you, both verbally and non-
verbally. Body language can carry a great deal of meaning. When you sense that someone is
feeling a certain way, consider the different factors that might be contributing to that emotion.

Empathize: Picking up on emotions is critical, but you also need to be able to put yourself into
someone else's shoes in order to truly understand their point of view. Practice empathizing
with other people. Imagine how you would feel in their situation. Such activities can help you
build an emotional understanding of a specific situation as well as develop stronger emotional
skills in the long-term.

Reflect: The ability to reason with emotions is an important part of emotional intelligence.
Consider how your own emotions influence your decisions and behaviors. When you are
thinking about how other people respond, assess the role that their emotions play. Why is this
person feeling this way? Are there any unseen factors that might be contributing to these
feelings? How to your emotions differ from theirs? As you explore such questions, you may find
that it becomes easier to understand the role that emotions play in how people think and
behave.

A Word From Verywell

Emotional intelligence is essential for good interpersonal communication. Some experts believe
that this ability is more important in determining life success than IQ alone. Fortunately, there
are things that you can do to strengthen your own social and emotional intelligence.
Understanding emotions can be the key to better relationships, improved well-being, and
stronger communication skills.

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You viewed this article on the Caregivers Nova Scotia website www.CaregiversNS.org.
For more information, contact us toll-free at 1.877.488.7390.

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