Intelligence is that factor that makes us human. Through evolution we seek to structure the world, to make sense of what we see, smell, and feel. However, sometimes viscerality wins us over and we put aside our emotional intelligence.
If what you want is to discover if you act with good judgment and know how to intelligently control your emotions, you can identify how many of these four essential traits of emotional intelligence you have.
In this exercise you will learn how you use emotions and how to learn to use them to your advantage. Both intelligence and emotions are something in constant correlation, we can nurture them and make them stronger.
Scientifically, emotional intelligence is the way we perceive, manage, and express emotions. Thus, it is the mental process that defines our behavior in any situation. Sometimes we skip steps or simply ignore our brain alerts and let our first instinct flow.
Therefore, once you identify the traits of emotional intelligence, you will be able to know if you are on the right path or if it is necessary to apply an urgent introspection.
4 traits to know if you have emotional intelligence
1 You think about your reactions
If you can tell the difference between a flushed reaction and a calm reaction, that’s a big step. Being overwhelmed by a fact is of no use to us, because we end up regretting what we have done.
Do not react in the moment, give yourself the time to consider each reaction and its possible pros and cons, so you will make a better decision.
2 Problems are opportunities
We all have problems and things that make us lose our cool. However, a person with high emotional intelligence will know that every challenging situation is an opportunity to improve.
In this case, emotions can play in your favor: if you focus on the positive, you will have a sea of solutions in front of you, but if you let yourself be carried away by the first thing that crosses your mind, you may only see problems.
3 You know and control your emotions
Good emotional intelligence is measured in the person’s ability to master their emotions. It is not about not feeling anger or sadness, but about preventing that from controlling you. Modifying emotions to take advantage of our abilities is a sign of excellent emotional intelligence.
4 Empathy
Easy to say, but difficult to put into practice. When you are facing a problem with your family, your partner or at work, the last thing you will do is put yourself in the other person’s place, and this is a serious mistake.
Knowing how to manage our emotions according to the feelings of the other person is very complex, but once it is achieved, it is almost certain that communication and relationships will be successful.
Keep reading: How to stay calm in the face of problems?
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