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Mental Health
Swarnakshi Sharma September 12th, 2021 · 6min read

Are You An Emotionally Intelligent Person? 15 Signs That Say You Have High Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

Are you in control of your emotions or are your emotions in control of you?

Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand, control, and assess your emotions. And while many experts believe that emotional intelligence or EQ can be learned, many believe that it’s an inborn trait.

Our ability to control and express our emotions is very important and so is the ability to understand, evaluate, and react to the emotions of others. Can you imagine a world where you can’t understand when your friend is feeling sad or when your partner is angry?

This is what indicates emotional intelligence. And while intelligence quotient or IQ is important for our growth and development, EQ is as important when it comes to our overall wellness as well as personality development.

But, have you ever wondered how emotional intelligence looked in day-to-day lives? Here are 15 signs that say you have high emotional intelligence (EQ).

Signs Of High Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

1. You Are Aware Of Your Feelings

Emotions play a huge role in directing our thoughts and actions. An emotionally intelligent person understands this and is self-aware of their emotions and feelings. They are aware of their emotional strengths, weaknesses, moods, and how emotions can influence their feelings.

2. You Think Before You Speak

An emotionally intelligent person knows to pause and think before they speak or take an action. They realize that emotions can make them take impulsive actions or make them say things they may later regret. To avoid embarrassing moments, they know to stop and think before they do anything or say anything.

3. You Control Your Thoughts

A high EQ person strives to control their thoughts and their reactions to emotions they can’t control. By controlling their thoughts, they prevent their emotions from overruling their mind. This ability allows them to live in harmony with their beliefs and values.

4. You Find Criticism Healthy

Sure, not all enjoy criticism but an emotionally intelligent person knows the value of healthy criticism. They view negative feedback as an opportunity to become better and the best version of themselves. Criticism, to them, is a chance to learn and grow.

5. You Are True To What You Say

An emotionally intelligent person is as authentic as one can be. It means they are not only true to who they are but are also true to what they say. They stick to their values. They understand that they don’t need to share the intimate details of their life with others, all the time.

6. You Are Empathetic (And Others Know It)

Empathy means understanding others’ emotions and feelings. Empathy helps people connect. An emotionally intelligent person is empathetic and instead of judging others, they strive to understand situations from other people’s point of view.

7. You Appreciate Others’ Efforts

Appreciation and commendation are something that we all seek. Emotionally intelligent people know this and they do everything to appreciate the efforts of others. When they commend others, they build a relationship of trust and value.

8. You Give Constructive Feedback When Needed

Criticism can hurt feelings, yes, and emotionally intelligent people know it. Therefore, they know when to reframe criticism as constructive feedback without hurting the emotions of others. Others receiving the feedback find the criticism helpful rather than harmful.

9. You Apologize When You Know You’re Wrong

Sure, “I’m sorry” is one of the hardest things to say but to an emotionally intelligent person, these two words are powerful. These people are not afraid or ashamed to apologize when they know they were in the wrong. High EQ people value their relationships more than their ego.

10. You Forgive And Move On

Holding a grudge is not something a highly emotionally intelligent person does. Instead, they forgive and move on with their lives. They know that holding grudges does not help heal emotional wounds. They don’t let others hold their emotions hostage and prevent them from moving on.

11. You Keep Your Commitments

It’s common these days to break a word or a commitment. However, an emotionally intelligent person keeps the commitments they make with others. Big or small, it doesn’t matter. They have a habit of keeping their word and have a strong sense of reliability and trustworthiness.

12. You Know When To Let Go

An emotionally intelligent person knows that they don’t need to understand all feelings as they arise or analyze every emotion they experience. They know how to simply be in the moment and let go of their worries they can’t control.

13. You Know To Protect Yourself From Emotional Manipulation

People with high emotional intelligence are aware of the dark side; emotional manipulation. They know how others use emotions as a tool to manipulate others for their selfish purposes. They are constantly learning to strengthen their EQ skills to protect themselves from the dark side.

14. You Embrace Others’ Skills

An emotionally intelligent person knows that EQ doesn’t discriminate between man or woman, poor or rich, quiet or loud. As they are self-aware of their emotions and their emotional response, they always strive to learn from others who have different EQ skills.

15. You Know The Power Of Emotions

Our emotions can overpower our lives. They help us decide when to cry and when to laugh. They do impact our decisions and our relationships. An emotionally intelligent person knows the power our emotions have on us and they embrace them but they don’t let the emotions overrule their lives.

Writer’s Thoughts

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is an admirable trait and is just as important as intelligence quotient or IQ. This ability to understand and control emotions plays a role in our success – personal and professional. Not only success but EQ is also important when it comes to our overall growth and development.

I hope the above signs helped you understand how an emotionally intelligent person behaves. If you found the above signs of high emotional intelligence useful, let me know in the comments below. You can also reach out to us at info@calmsage.com or DM us on social media!

Take Care!

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