DEFINE E.Q, which stands for emotional quotient, is a fairly new concept in the scientific community yet it has become one of the most controversial topics. For thousands of years, people have thought that I. Q is destiny, but is has turned out to be not nearly as much as we thought. Daniel Goleman, a psychology professor at the University of Harvard wrote a groundbreaking book about the E.Q factor. His book argues that our view of human intelligence is far too narrow. Ignoring a crucial range of abilities that matter immensely in terms of how well we do in life. To be emotionally intelligent relies on many factors, which include knowing one’s feelings and using them to make life decisions they can live with.
Being able to manage ones emotional life without being hijacked by it — not being paralyzed by depression or worry, or swept away by anger. Persisting in the face of setbacks and channeling one’s impulses in order to pursue their goals. Empathy — reading other people’s emotions without their having to tell you what they are feeling. Handling feelings in relationships with skill and harmony — being able to articulate the unspoken pulse of a group, for example. The phrase emotional intelligence was coined by Yale psychologist Peter Salovey and the University of New Hampshire’s John Mayer eight years ago to describe the emotional qualities one had.
EFFECTS ON ONE’S LIFE?
EQ is one of the deciding factors on the outcome of someone’s life. Being emotionally controlled can change one’s life. It can affect the way you deal with failure, either accept it or try to persevere in your original goal. For example, someone goes to a job interview but is turned down. An emotionally intelligent person would think Its not the end of the world, there are plenty of jobs out there.
Whereas an emotionally unstable person would think Oh no, Im never going to get a job, then I won’t be able to pay my rent and Ill get kicked out into the streets after which I will turn to a life of crime which will come to an abrupt end when I’m shot in the head by a cop while trying to seal some food IM DOOMED! It might be hard to believe but there are plenty of people out there with that kind of attitude towards rejection. This brings us back to the point that if someone can handle an emotional situation they will go through life more relaxed and comfortable.
PART PERSONALITY? EXPERIENCES IN LIFE? ATTITUDES?
Most emotionally intelligent people are outgoing, talkative, fun, and just a joy to be around. Where as a person with lesser EQ is just the opposite. There is no question emotionally intelligent people are more liked.
No one wants to hang out with a boring person, they want to laugh, to be entertained to be around people with a higher EQ. A persons attitude towards life’s obstacles is practically a surefire way of identifying whether or not he is a person of a high EQ. Optimists are usually the ones with a high EQ, whereas pessimists are usually lower on the EQ chart.
THE MARSHMALLOW TEST
It turns out that a scientist can see the future by watching four-year-olds interact with a marshmallow. The researcher invites the children into a room where he begins the torment. He places a single marshmallow on a table, you can have the marshmallow right now, he says.
But if you wait while I run an errand you can have two. And then he leaves. Some children grab for the marshmallow the minute he leaves. Some last a few minutes before they give in. But others are determined to wait. Some sing to themselves; they try to play games or even fall asleep.
When the researcher returns he gives them their hard-earned marshmallow. And the science waits for them to grow up. By the time the children reached high school, something remarkable has happened. A survey of the children’s parents and teachers found that those who as four-year-olds waited for the second marshmallow turned out to be better adjusted more popular, more dependable teenagers. The children who gave in to the temptation early on were.
