In response to the title’s question, most people would say yes. It sounds intuitive, doesn’t it? “Of course the more intelligent will be more successful! Anything else is just inconceivable!”
But the unexpected answer is this: Not necessarily.
Life always surprises us with counter-intuitive facts like this. Intelligence is an essential trait, how could it not be a primary component of success?
This startling revelation is one of the things I learned when I came across what’s called Emotional Intelligence (also called EQ), which is even more important than the intelligence quotient (IQ) that is traditionally revered and paired with success. I’ve noticed this difference between the two when I observed people as a kid; I’d notice that someone who had very high grades in school had no clue how to read people’s expressions, body language or tone of voice. He would be oblivious to what seem to most people obvious social cues, like a sigh of boredom. I would think, “How could this smart person who’s always ahead of the entire class not notice obvious things like these?” Others shared the same thoughts with me. It didn’t make sense.
But now, it does. This distinction between IQ intelligence and emotional intelligence answers many confusing questions, chief among them, “How come the smartest people aren’t necessarily the most successful?” Yes, it’s true! People with average IQs are more successful than the higher IQ people 70 percent of the time, according to Travis Bradberry in his book Emotional Intelligence 2.0. That was a shocking thing to read. It goes against what everybody thinks. It means that instead of cultivating traditional intelligence, one ought to work on emotional intelligence if they’re to be more likely to succeed in life.
What is emotional intelligence (EQ)? It’s your ability to recognize your emotions and those of others; to know and label the different feelings you’re going through; and to use this knowledge to guide your thinking and actions. For example, some of the components of the social aspect of EQ include: Observing body language, especially the eyes, and then how sincere a smile is; having good timing, such as not asking for a raise at work at a time of financial difficulty; using and repeating the name of a person you just met; listening intently; putting oneself in other’s shoes; detecting the mood of a room full of people; and other guidelines.
I’m sure you’ve seen examples of people with poor EQ. A group of people is talking, then one of them makes a joke and they all laugh, but you see one of them is not even smiling, not sharing the group’s mood. That guy has poor EQ. Or the opposite: The person who cracks jokes and laughs at all times even inappropriate ones. He too has poor EQ.
What’s more fascinating to me is that EQ also includes guidelines on how to manage one’s own emotions. This is essential – you can find people who are great at knowing what others are feeling and know how to manage social situations, but they are terrible at dealing with themselves, with their own emotions. This leads to poor mental health, which also adversely affects physical health. This aspect of EQ includes things such as: Not judging emotions as good/bad (this interferes with letting them take their course and dissipate); observing one’s emotions and their effects; knowing what triggers what; keeping an emotions diary; asking for feedback, and others.
If you want to be more successful in life, be sure to learn more about emotional intelligence.
But the unexpected answer is this: Not necessarily.
Life always surprises us with counter-intuitive facts like this. Intelligence is an essential trait, how could it not be a primary component of success?
This startling revelation is one of the things I learned when I came across what’s called Emotional Intelligence (also called EQ), which is even more important than the intelligence quotient (IQ) that is traditionally revered and paired with success. I’ve noticed this difference between the two when I observed people as a kid; I’d notice that someone who had very high grades in school had no clue how to read people’s expressions, body language or tone of voice. He would be oblivious to what seem to most people obvious social cues, like a sigh of boredom. I would think, “How could this smart person who’s always ahead of the entire class not notice obvious things like these?” Others shared the same thoughts with me. It didn’t make sense.
But now, it does. This distinction between IQ intelligence and emotional intelligence answers many confusing questions, chief among them, “How come the smartest people aren’t necessarily the most successful?” Yes, it’s true! People with average IQs are more successful than the higher IQ people 70 percent of the time, according to Travis Bradberry in his book Emotional Intelligence 2.0. That was a shocking thing to read. It goes against what everybody thinks. It means that instead of cultivating traditional intelligence, one ought to work on emotional intelligence if they’re to be more likely to succeed in life.
What is emotional intelligence (EQ)? It’s your ability to recognize your emotions and those of others; to know and label the different feelings you’re going through; and to use this knowledge to guide your thinking and actions. For example, some of the components of the social aspect of EQ include: Observing body language, especially the eyes, and then how sincere a smile is; having good timing, such as not asking for a raise at work at a time of financial difficulty; using and repeating the name of a person you just met; listening intently; putting oneself in other’s shoes; detecting the mood of a room full of people; and other guidelines.
I’m sure you’ve seen examples of people with poor EQ. A group of people is talking, then one of them makes a joke and they all laugh, but you see one of them is not even smiling, not sharing the group’s mood. That guy has poor EQ. Or the opposite: The person who cracks jokes and laughs at all times even inappropriate ones. He too has poor EQ.
What’s more fascinating to me is that EQ also includes guidelines on how to manage one’s own emotions. This is essential – you can find people who are great at knowing what others are feeling and know how to manage social situations, but they are terrible at dealing with themselves, with their own emotions. This leads to poor mental health, which also adversely affects physical health. This aspect of EQ includes things such as: Not judging emotions as good/bad (this interferes with letting them take their course and dissipate); observing one’s emotions and their effects; knowing what triggers what; keeping an emotions diary; asking for feedback, and others.
If you want to be more successful in life, be sure to learn more about emotional intelligence.
