Emotional intelligence - defining the essential elements

 Aristotle said that it is a rare skill "to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right reason and in the right way." This is just one of the examples in which emotional intelligence is manifested throughout life and everyday life. Emotional intelligence is the ability of a person to successfully identify and successfully deal with their own emotions and the emotions of other people. Our behavior is primarily conditioned by our feelings, so it is understandable how this type of intelligence plays an essential role in every aspect of functioning, while at the same time being one of the most important factors that improve the chances of success - where needed. Emotional intelligence begins with self-awareness.

This is the basis on which it can develop and grow. Self-awareness is the ability to recognize one's own feelings at the moment of their formation and should not be equated with awareness. Developing self-awareness involves developing introspective skills that would help in "self-talk." Self-awareness is a constant understanding of one's own character, feelings, motives, and desires - on a level that is individual and separate from the perception of others, other people, and the environment. Although this is a task that is not at all easy to achieve - given the chaotic order in which we are forced to exist, it is still a state to which it is wise to strive. There are huge benefits that can be applied to any critical moment, situation or action - increased optimism, reduced guilt and conscience, increased self-confidence, improved communication, facilitated decision making, clear direction, and plan to achieve your desires. The next element of emotional intelligence is self-control (self-discipline). This does not mean suppressing or neglecting emotions, but their proper application when working on a task, problem-solving, conflict situations, in an unpleasant environment, and the like. One of the primary examples of successful emotion control is the ability to delay gratification - the ability to resist the reward that is currently available in favor of gaining a greater reward in the long run. This is not an ability we are born within our actual existence; we want everything immediately - but a skill that can be formed through various experiences, which is probably the surest sign of emotional maturity. The benefits of overcoming emotion control are seen in easier management of anger, reduced impulsivity, reduction of suicidal tendencies, suppression of chronic boredom, reduced mood swings, stabilization of relationships with loved ones, increased belief in their own abilities, and implementation. Self-motivation is that part of emotional intelligence that allows us to use emotions to our advantage. This is the force that moves us forward and pushes us towards success and recognition. Although the intensity of the manifestation varies from person to person, there are ways in which it can be mastered as a skill. Through self-motivation, a stage of self-awareness is reached in which the positive approach to the set goal is maintained, at the same time maintaining the objective perspective and the possibility of recognizing useless and potentially harmful situations, as well as the ability to remove such cases painlessly. This skill helps to face various obstacles, the way we experience them, and their impact on the further course of events.

Empathy is perhaps the most helpful tool in developing stable relationships with other people. This is the first element of emotional intelligence that is outward-looking - rather than self-directed and has no direct introspective features. However, it is highly dependent on previously successful introspection. Empathy is the ability to adapt to other people's feelings and moods, discover and understand without being told what is happening, and act in a way that suits the emotional atmosphere, without starting from our own views. Empathy is set on three pillars. First, affective empathy is the ability to share someone else's feelings - we feel sad because of someone else's sadness, pain because of someone else's pain, etc. Cognitive empathy is the ability to understand other people's feelings, even though there is no re-manifestation of them in our psyche. Finally, emotional regulation is the ability to adjust our own feelings to the feelings of another in a way that allows for a spontaneous reaction, which at the same time can be avoided if necessary. Social skills are the last component of emotional intelligence. Well-developed social skills imply successful coping in interpersonal relationships and are significant in gaining popularity, interpersonal efficiency, and proper leadership. Social skills are formed from an early age, and the way they have been created results in the degree to which self-confidence, the threshold of satisfaction, and the realization of the given potential will develop.

More profound knowledge of the components of emotional intelligence, their implementation in everyday actions, and openness to other people's emotions lead to the need to redefine what it means to be innovative. Understanding these principles can completely change the existing perception of human behavior, the required characteristics of an intelligent person, and most importantly - the quality of one's own existence.