What is Emotional Intelligence
Emotional Intelligence is the ability to Identify , Understand & Manage Thoughts , Feelings & Emotions of self & those around us.
Table Of Content
- What is Emotional Intelligence
- Importance of Emotional intelligence
- We are all creatures of Emotions
- Emotional Intelligence is a vital life skill for Success in Life
- Understanding Emotions
- Neuroscience of Emotions
- How Emotions are processed in Brain
- Generation of Emotions in Brain
- Regulation of Emotions in Brain
- How Emotional intelligence makes a difference
- Emotional intelligence in key spheres of life
- Emotional Intelligence in Relationship
- Emotional Intelligence in Sales & marketing
- Emotional Intelligence in Career
- Emotional intelligence and overall well being
- Improving Emotional intelligence - 5 components of EI
- Basic Emotions
- Conclusion
Importance of Emotional intelligence
We are all creatures of Emotions
We may not realise or accept it, but the truth is we are more emotional than logical.Emotions give the final push to most of our decisions, be it buying a product or opting for a career or choosing a life partner.
Better decisions can be made if we are able to identify, understand & manage our emotions as well as those of others around us.
Emotional Intelligence is a vital life skill for Success in Life
It is believed that for success in life, Emotional intelligence is 4 times more important than cognitive intelligence .
The reason is obvious. For success in life, the most important life skill is ability to manage people
For instance, Businessmen have to manage their team, customers , suppliers….,
Employees have to manage colleagues, subordinates , superiors, clients…..
And In relationship, we have to build bonding with spouse, family, relatives, friends….
Every where, it’s all about handling people.
Emotional intelligence is the skill to handle people.
And that explains why some people succeed more than others in spite of having same or even comparatively lower IQ.
Understanding Emotions
An Emotion is our reaction to a situation, event or thought ( external or internal )
Emotion causes physiological changes in our body and specific behavioural response.
For example, We feel Joy when we receive a good news There is change in our heart rate and breathing rate and we smile.
In above example,Joy is the Emotion,
Good News is the Triggering Event,
Changes in Heart rate & Breathing rate are Physiological changes
& Smile is the Behavioural response
Emotions play a crucial role in our day to day life and overall well being
Neuroscience of Emotions
The Limbic System
Amygdala : Processes Emotions such as Anger, Fear , Anxiety
Thalamus : Processes Sensory Information
Pre-frontal Cortex : Seat of decision making, reasoning,
How Emotions are processed in Brain
It would be helpful to understand how emotions are generated and processed in our brain. With a clear understanding, we can focus on the relevant part of the brain ( through Meditation) to regulate emotions.
The part of the brain, responsible for processing emotions is called The Limbic System.
It includes Amygdala , Hypothalamus & Hippocampus which work together to process emotions.
Sensory Information , be it Smell, Sound , Sight , Touch or Taste, travels in the form of electric signals.
These signals pass through spinal cord and finally reach Brain.
In brain, The information first passes through The limbic System and then reach the front part of the Brain , The Cortex.
Generation of Emotions in Brain
The limbic system is the Emotional part of the Brain.
Amygdala , a component of The Limbic System, is responsible for generation of Emotions such as Fear & Anger.
when ever left un regulated , The Amygdala makes people blinded by Emotions . It reacts faster and literally hijacks brain and makes us carried away with Anger or Fear
Regulation of Emotions in Brain
Pre Frontal Cortex is the part of the brain which regulates emotions. It is considered to be the seat of Logic , reasoning & decision making.
Intensity of emotions is identified by The pre frontal Cortex which then determines appropriate response to the situation.
The Limbic System & The Pre frontal cortex work in close co-operation with each other for a balanced response to a situation
How Emotional intelligence makes a difference
Emotional Intelligence determines our response to a situation. Different people react differently to same situation.
For instance, at a traffic signal, some people will fret while others may utilise this break to sip water , do some neck exercise & just look around.
Take another example, a child spills milk at the breakfast table. Some parents will shout at child while others will see whether its accidental or out of carelessness. If accidental, they will say “never mind “, and if its out of carelessness, they will simply ask the child to be more careful next time…
In our day to day life, we come across several such small or big situations, where , many times, we react disproportionately to a situation and later regret for our over reaction.
Emotional intelligence keeps us reasonable , logical & balanced in our response to a situation. It does not let us react instinctively.
After all, Life is only 10% of what happens to us and 90% of how we react to what happens to us. (as famously proposed by C R swindoll , Pastor & Educator)
We may not always be able to control a situation, but we can always control our reaction to a situation.
Emotional intelligence is the key to regulating our reaction to any situation in life
Emotional intelligence in key spheres of life
Emotional Intelligence is vital for success in all walks of life, be it Relationship, Business, Employment or overall personal well being
Emotional Intelligence in Relationship
Relationships are built around Emotions. Emotional Intelligence is must to continually nurture Love,Trust & Intimacy in relationships. It helps in a deeper understanding of the other person’s feelings & emotions.
Emotional Intelligence in Sales & marketing
Consider this . In a company, all sales persons sell the same products . Yet, performance of all sales persons is not same. Some sales persons consistently perform better than others .Ever wondered why ?
Its Because their ability to build rapport & establish trust with customers is better than others . Emotional Intelligence makes the difference.
Do you know, Harvard Business School professor Gerald Zaltman has proposed that 95% of purchasing decisions are driven by emotions.
Emotional Intelligence in Career
All careers, whether Business or Job , entail managing teams, handling subordinates & superiors, managing work related stress…..all these require emotional intelligence for best results.
Emotional intelligence and overall well being
Emotionally intelligent people are healthier and happier.
Unregulated negative emotions cause or worsen diseases of Heart, Blood pressure, Digestive System, Immune system and mental health issues like depression, anxiety.
Improving Emotional intelligence - 5 components of EI
According to Daniel Goleman, well known psychologist, there are 5 major components of Emotional intelligence. These are :
1. Self Awareness : Understanding own feelings, mood & emotions
2. Self Regulation : Ability to regulate own emotions
3. Motivation : Drive to pursue goals
4. Empathy : Ability to understand and share feelings & emotions of others
5. Social Skills : Ability to manage relationships, build social networks
We can improve emotional intelligence by building competency around above 5 components
In addition, Deep Breathing & Meditation are other two great tools to improve Emotional Intelligence.
Basic Emotions
Do you know, There are 6 basic emotions which are common across all cultures & recognised universally . These are :
1. Happiness : Feeling of Joy & well being
2. Sadness : Feeling of sorrow, dejection
3. Anger : Strong Feeling of irritation, hostility
4. Fear : Feeling of Anxiety, dread
5. Surprise: Feeling of Astonishment, unexpectedness
6. Disgust : Feeling of strong revulsion
Conclusion
To sum up, it can be said that in the age of Artificial Intelligence, Emotional Intelligence is a vital life skill to live a life of Fulfilment, Growth & happiness.
Any one can get angry, but to be angry at the right time , for the right reason, with the right person in the right manner & up to right extent……That’s Emotional Intelligence.
