Emotional Intelligence (EI) can mean the difference between behaving in a socially acceptable way and being out of place in a given social situation.
That is, it can make a difference between a good or a social malfunction. Although most people will have heard of EI, few know how to detect it, neither in themselves nor in others.
Essentially, emotional intelligence is that the ability to perceive, express, understand and manage emotions. And it is important because the more we understand these aspects of ourselves, the better our mental health and social development will be.
If you want to know if you are emotionally intelligent or not, then read the following list of four signs that denote adequate IE;
1. Think about your reactions
Under certain circumstances, such as a discrepancy that ends in an argument, EI can make a difference between different reactions: the good thing would be to try not to take it personally, and the bad thing would be to get carried away by anger and end up disrespecting to your interlocutor.
Indeed, emotions can contain information useful for personal and social functioning, but sometimes these emotions can also overwhelm us and make us act in ways that we later regret.
2. See situations as a challenge
If we are able to recognize negative emotions in ourselves and see difficult situations as a challenge, focusing on positive emotions and persevering, we will most likely have a high EI.
For a moment, imagine that your job is in danger; Well, given this job uncertainty, an emotionally intelligent person can perceive an increase in their anxiety and stop worrying and start dealing with this situation (note that it is enough to remove the prefix “pre” to begin dealing with anxiety mentally); In this case, your IE would help you regulate your anxiety and try to overcome this challenge.
3. Modify your emotions
Of course, there are times when emotions can take the best of ourselves, but if you are an emotionally intelligent person, it is likely that when this happens you have the skills to control yourself.
4. Put yourself in the place of the other
If you’re ready to extend these skills beyond your own personal functioning, then that’s another sign that you simply have high levels of emotional intelligence.
EI can be particularly important in positions that require intense “emotional work”, such as customer service, professional performance in which workers must manage their emotions and those of customers in accordance with company standards. Although, sometimes a disappointed customer is screaming at them.