Why is Emotional Intelligence (EQ) more valuable than Mental Intelligence (IQ)?

Here we offer you only scientific arguments that can be the beginning of inner openness to undoubted reality: Self-knowledge is the key to universal knowledge and the mind is always an instrument of the Self and not “the center of the universe”, so we are usually mistakenly suggested!

A… Let’s understand well – we need the mind – as pure as possible, strong focused, endowed with an infallible memory, but this must always be a tool of ours, not an end goal!
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For now, scientific terminology uses a partial description of this form of knowledge – Knowledge of the Inner Self – and calls it emotional intelligence.
We are sure that in the future its study will provide exceptional keys to authentic understanding and improvement of man.

Leo Radutz
AdAnima Academic Society
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Why is Emotional Intelligence (EQ) more valuable than Mental Intelligence (IQ)?
Psychologist Aida Surubaru
AdAnima Academic Society
Bucharest
www.adanima.org

Modern research in the field of psychology reveals that there is every reason to give emotional intelligence (I.E. or E.Q. – Emotional Quotient) at least the same importance as mental intelligence, if not more. Evidence of emotional intelligence can be found in resumes, conversations, interpersonal relationships, etc. Today there are tests that allow a fairly accurate assessment of emotional intelligence, so that they provide information about the emotions that lead us and shape our daily behavior.

What is Emotional Intelligence?


Generally, people talk about intelligence referring to that general skill that targets the mental component, namely the famous IQ (Intelligence Quotient). There are even expressions describing the development of this component in certain people, which we characterize as “mental”, “brilliant”, “mentally reduced”, “heavy head”, etc. But we can also refer to someone as “dumb” or “who escapes the reins” (expressions denoting a Self-regulation unsuitable); someone else is “warm” or “cold as an ice floe” (phrases referring to the level of empathy); There are “seated” individuals, which says about them that they have a self-awareness Developed; or people fully characterized by the proverb “he who gets up in the morning, far reaches”, that is, with a strong motivation in their work.

It is obvious that mental intelligence is NOT enough to manage life events. The ability to effectively solve human problems depends on the ability to direct our own emotional state so that we are balanced and in touch with our own affective states. This allows us to better understand our own incentives and priorities. At the same time, it is necessary to “be able to put ourselves in the shoes of others”, to understand them, but also to enter into relationships with people in a pleasant, mature and preventive way.

Emotional impulses are located in a different part of the brain than “rational reflexes.” The former are older than the last. Our ability to think appears only as a thin twig, which can be pierced or… bypassed by our affective states. Whether we like it or not, we must recognize that feelings direct our behavior. Therefore, they constitute a true TRANSFORMATIVE FORCE, and it is useless and even infantile to try to stifle, cover or ignore them.

Feelings and emotions must be understood, cherished, and directed in favor of our optimal adaptation, in order to manifest what renowned novelist Ernest Hemingway called “elegance under pressure.” Every human is made up of a combination of strong traits and weaknesses, and the issue we should be concerned about is not to become “perfect” (What does perfect mean? If you find such a person, please introduce them to us, so you can “touch them and scream: IT IS!”). Rather, it is necessary and advisable to balance our “undisciplined gang of feelings” (T.S.Eliot), in order to transform our affections into precious, reliable allies, true launching pads in spiritual evolution!

In general, EI is defined as described by five components:
Self-regulation – the ability to direct and control our own emotional states
Self-awareness – the ability to know and understand and manage our feelings
• Motivation – channeling feelings to achieve specific goals
Empathy – the ability to identify and “calibrate” the feelings of others
• Social skills – the ability to establish relationships with others and influence them for creative purposes.

Of course, these components are interdependent and function as a harmoniously articulated whole within the individual’s personality.
Each of the above five components of EI has its own sub-structure, which can allow us, knowing it, to self-assess our level of personal development.

Self-regulation
Its components can be expressed in the form of imperative phrases that show us how well we can emotionally self-regulate:
1. Postpone the decision! Curb your impulses!
2. Put aside the problem; Detach!
3. Express yourself clearly, possibly insistently, but NOT aggressively!
4. Be flexible; Flow in the direction of the current, and do not force things!
5. Effectively direct your non-verbal communication.

Self-awareness
Its components, also expressed in an imperative form, are:
1. Respect yourself!
2. Always adopt a positive attitude!
3. Be honest with yourself!
4. Have the strength to put aside logic and reason when they become useless or insufficient.
5. Always listen to others!
6. Be aware of the influence you have on others!

Motivation
It has four basic elements:
1. Consistently aim to improve and reach high standards!
2. Set clear goals, then commit firmly to achieving them!
3. Take initiative and attract opportunities (without being an opportunist, and harming others)!
4. Always be optimistic, even in the face of great trials!

Empathy
Its components are:
1. Sensitivity and understanding towards others
2. The ability to relate to the needs of others and give them as much as we can
3. The ability to encourage the success and evolution of others
4. The ability to be socially “tuned”.

Social skills
Finally, this last (but not least) component of EI has three descriptive elements:
1. The ability to develop and maintain healthy human relationships
2. Ability to communicate with others
3. The ability to work in a team.

Of course, there are tests that allow the evaluation of each of these components, so that the one who goes through them can finally obtain his overall self-evaluation (the level of IE, characterized by a global score), but also the knowledge of the EI components that are best developed, respectively the least developed in his case. Thus, everyone can initiate a personal development approach in which to aim to amplify their performance in a certain direction: either to become more empathetic, or to be able to work better in a team, or to develop their intrinsic motivation, etc.

It’s not easy to improve our IE! After all, this brings us to face some well-rooted habits we have! It is also important to give positive meaning even to the “negative” emotions (anger, fear, contempt, anxiety, sadness, etc.) that we experience, as they hide a great potential for self-transformation. The Russian mystic philosopher P.D. Uspensky wrote in his book, “The Psychology of the Possible Evolution of Man“: “What would our life have been like without negative emotions? What would have happened to what we call art, theater, most novels?”

The truth is that the emotional pantheon needs discipline. This is the key to spiritual balance, an indispensable condition for an authentic evolution of the human being.