These Are 15 Things People With High Emotional Intelligence Do

Emotional intelligence affects how we behave and how we make personal decisions to achieve positive results.

The term was created by two researchers – Peter Salavoy and John Mayer – and popularized by Dan Goleman in his 1996 book of the same name. It means being aware that emotions can drive our behavior and impact people, and learning how to manage those emotions.

Studies have shown that people with high EI have greater mental health, exemplary job performance, and more potent leadership skills. Markers of EI and methods of developing it have become more widely coveted in the past few decades. In addition, studies have begun to provide evidence to help characterize the neural mechanisms of emotional intelligence.

The ability to express and control our emotions is essential, but so is our ability to understand, interpret, and respond to the emotions of others.

These are 15 certain signs that you have a high EQ:

1) You are curious.

An inborn sense of wonder and curiosity makes them delightful to be around. They don’t judge; they explore the possibilities. They ask questions and are open to new solutions.

2) You are self aware.

A big part of having self-awareness is being honest with yourself about who you are; knowing your advantages and your weaknesses and accepting these things about yourself. An high emotionally intelligent person learns to identify their areas of strength and weakness, and analyze how to work most effectively within this framework.

3) You are socially aware.

They understand and tune into other people’s emotions and can adapt to unspoken social cues. They can also see the interpersonal interactions within groups and larger organizations.

4) You want to be a good, moral person.

One aspect of emotional intelligence is our "moral identity," which has to do with the extent to which we want to see ourselves as ethical, caring people. If you're someone who cares about building up this side of yourself (regardless of how you've acted in past moral situations), you might have a high EQ.

5) You are highly motivated.

You're able to focus and stay on-task and better at handling stress. This leads to the fact that you're also less impulsive and more self-managed. In addition you can use emotions so that they will guide your to the best decision, rather than being used and overtaken by your emotions, or ignoring them and trying to make decisions on an intellectual basis alone.

6) You can stand and fight pressure.

People look to you for reassurance when things get crazy because you don’t freak out easily. In a bad situation, you’re the strong shoulder to cry on, the source of light to look toward, the beacon of hope, the rock. And you embrace this position fully. If you end up losing your cool – which, of course, can happen – you don’t ruminate over it. You dust yourself off and move forward.

7) You focus on the positive things.

While not ignoring the bad news, emotionally intelligent people have made a conscious decision to not spend a lot of time and energy focusing on problems. Rather, they look at what is positive in a situation and look for solutions to a problem. These people focus on what they are able to do and that which is within their control.

8) You are capable of reading non-verbal conversations.

People with high emotional intelligence can read body language and facial expressions to pick up cues about how the other person feels. If you don’t have these skills, they can be learned and retained.

9) You are empathic.

Emotionally intelligent people are empathetic, and it's a skill you should look for when hiring. You are able to understand other people's points of view, even if you don't have a lot of firsthand experience to draw from. Those who are able to feel empathy for the people with whom they work are better able to respond in constructive ways and even anticipate their teammates', subordinates', or manager's needs.

10) You practice self-regulation.

Those who self-regulate generally don’t allow themselves to become overly emotional. They don’t have temper tantrums or hysterical outbursts, and they don’t make impulsive, careless decisions. Those who know how to self-regulate “are good at delayed gratification, understanding that waiting for what they want may bring better results. The self-regulation skills emotionally intelligent people possess can benefit them in both business and social situations, allowing them to remain calm, keep a clear head and focus on the issues at hand.

11) You are respected by others.

Emotionally intelligent managers are widely respected by their bosses, peers, and employees. They like people and are savvy enough to know what makes them tick. Their ability to quickly build rapport and trust with those on whom they depend seems almost second nature. Power wars, backbiting, and duplicity are not their style.

12) You are responsible.

You take responsibility for your own life. You understand that your current circumstances are a result of the decisions you have taken up to now. When something goes wrong, you do not rush to blame others. You identify what you can do differently the next time and develop a plan to implement these changes.

13) You are a great leader.

What most successful leaders have in common is a high emotional intelligence coefficient. Also, you are aware of the fact that it’s not enough to delegate all kinds of tasks and responsibilities to get things done properly if you are not willing to “walk the walk”. You like to lead by setting an example, you’re very talented, you have a good work ethic and you are very ambitious.

14) You love changes.

Emotionally intelligent people are flexible and are constantly adapting. They know that fear of change is paralyzing and a major threat to their success and happiness. They look for change that is lurking just around the corner, and they form a plan of action should these changes occur.

15) You aren't easily offended.

If you have a firm grasp of whom you are, it’s difficult for someone to say or do something that gets your goat. Emotionally intelligent people are self-confident and open-minded, which creates a pretty thick skin. You may even poke fun at yourself or let other people make jokes about you because you are able to mentally draw the line between humor and degradation.

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