The Concept of Emotional Intelligence

 

One of the biggest attributes that individuals in the business and social world can have is emotional intelligence. This is the ability of individuals to ensure that they not only have control over their emotions, but are able to make sure that they make rational decisions. Emotional intelligence allows individuals to ensure that they are able to handle a diversity of situation without losing control of their emotions. It also enhances their capability of better understanding the viewpoints of others in such a way that allows them to make better decisions than in situations where they do not have any control over their emotions and act impulsively. Leaders need this form of intelligence to enhance their capabilities as well as their effectiveness and this is to such an extent that it allows them to achieve success in areas where they would otherwise have failed. In this paper, there is an analysis of the manner through which the presence of emotional intelligence allows individuals to achieve good interpersonal communication.

The presence of emotional intelligence is an extremely important attribute when it comes to matters concerning interpersonal communication. This is especially considering that it allows individuals to better understand each other in such a way that ensures that there is the advancement of the interests of both parties. In interpersonal communication, it is important for individuals to make decisions and hold discussions in as rational a manner as possible and this means that emotional intelligence has a powerful role to play in the process (Petrovici & Dobrescu, 2014). It is also an essential means of making sure that individuals get to view the positions of their counterparts from the latter’s perspective so that when they communicate with them, they do so in a way that is not only rational, but also effective. Emotional intelligence is also essential when it comes to the achievement of positive emotions and this is in such a way that prevents negative emotions from influencing the direction of the conversation. The achievement of good interpersonal communication can only come about through the presence of emotional intelligence and this is in such a way that makes it possible for individuals to come to terms with their own emotions and have the presence of mind to make rational remarks and decisions. Therefore, the presence of emotional intelligence ensures that interpersonal communication is not only enhanced, but also brings about better results than in a situation where there is a lack of emotional intelligence.

The absence of emotional intelligence in interpersonal communication is often marked by emotional chaos. This is because individuals do not take the time to empathize and understand the people with who they are communicating. A significance of such a situation is that they end up in a situation where there is a total lack of interpersonal understanding and decisions are often made based on what individuals are feeling at the time rather than being based on an understanding that can help them enhance their communication and come up with rational decisions (Choi, et al., 2015). In most instances, individuals do not have emotional intelligence because it has not been made an essential part of their lives. A consequence is that when it comes to interpersonal communication, individuals end up losing control over their emotions and come to irrational conclusions that do not weigh the opinions of those with whom they are communicating. This is especially the case considering that individuals have the potential of better developing their emotional intelligence from a young age in a school and home environment that encourages it. However, there is often a failure to advance these initiatives and this is to such an extent that in their communication, individuals tend to be governed by uncontrolled emotions rather than constructively being able to control them. Therefore, the absence of emotional intelligence has the potential of leading to a breakdown of interpersonal communication and this is to such an extent that it might end up ruining relationships.

The past century has seen a considerable increase in the level of intelligence of individuals when compared to previous centuries. This has come about mainly because of the rapid advancements in technology that have forced individuals to adapt to them more effectively. In addition, individuals, especially children, are increasingly encountering a more sophisticated target environment, which is forcing them towards becoming more intelligent. However, the increase in the levels of IQ does not seem to have had a positive effect on emotional intelligence. On the contrary, individuals are increasingly being seen to be getting lower on emotional intelligence and this is to such an extent that they are essentially being governed by emotional chaos (McCleskey, 2014). Therefore, emotional intelligence and IQ are not mutually exclusive because the former is still quite deficient in certain societies and individuals. This is exemplified by the manner through which individuals respond to others who are not of the same race, religion, or culture as themselves. The lack of emotional intelligence has made it difficult for individuals to empathize with one another and has instead made them come to make decisions based on uncontrolled emotions. The latter decisions tend to end up having very bad results because they bring out the worst in individuals while preventing the intelligent conclusion of crises that affect individuals from day to day, especially in an increasingly multi-ethnic setting in a world that has become globalized.

In conclusion, emotional intelligence is a pertinent feature when it comes to interpersonal communication as well as the daily interactions between different individuals. It allows them to come to terms with each other in such a way that helps them empathize and understand the reasons behind why they act as they do. Through this process, individuals have a means of making their decisions rationally, and with absolute control over their emotions so that they are better able to have good relationships, while at the same time allowing them to work better together for the sake of achieving common goals. Thus, emotional intelligence is a pertinent means of making sure that individuals act rationally and work together as a team rather than being ruled by their emotions and leading to the loss of overall focus.