What is Emotional Intelligence?

How do you feel today?
'Fine' I guess?

What if I told you there are 34000 emotions you could be feeling?

According to Plutchik's 'Wheel of Emotions' there are 8 basic emotions separated into subcategories.

Anger: To fight against problems

Anticipation: To look forward and plan

Joy: Reminds us what is important

Trust: To connect with people who help

Fear: To protect us from danger

Surprise: To focus on new situations

Sadness: To connect us with those we love

It is easier for people to understand and detect the 8 basic emotions but the closer you move to the inner circle it becomes more difficult.

Emotional Intelligence however, is the ability to not only detect those emotions on others but to understand and master your own.

Susan David in her TED Talk The gift and Power of Emotional Courage states that if we want to understand our emotions we need to separate them from ourselves and replace 'I am sad' with 'I am noticing that I am feeling sad'.

Kris Girrell in his TEDxTalk How We've Been misled by 'Emotional Intelligence' states that according to studies, great leaders are good at Emotional Intelligence. He then asks, what if you are not good at emotional  intelligence? Will you never be successful?

Here is the point where he shifts the definition of Emotional Intelligence to Emotional Intimacy supporting that if we want to understand others emotions, we first need to be intimate with our own.
Therefore emotional intelligence is not only the ability to detect another's emotions but to also connect with them in an intimate level.

Choosing your emotional vocabulary wisely and intimately connecting with your emotions is a step closer to creating the world you desire the most!

©2019