What is Emotional Intelligence?

Every season of The Bachelor that I’ve watched has further solidified my understanding that humans are an extremely emotional species. Everyone experiences emotion, but, on the flip side, not everybody understands them, (or understands them well, rather). Psychologists refer to the ability to interpret our own emotions, as well as those of others, as emotional intelligence or EI, and further assert that the ability to manage our emotions is a skill that can be trained and strengthen like a muscle.

The theories surrounding emotional intelligence suggest there are four facets to it: managing emotions, understanding emotions, perceiving emotions and reasoning with emotions. Individuals with EI should be able to not only accurately identify what they’re feeling and why they are feeling it, (factoring in nonverbal cues, such as body language and facial expressions), but also reason through the involuntary emotional response they experience as a result. When harnessed in the right way, our emotional intelligence can assist us to problem solve more effectively, experience less anxiety, and be more cognizant of the emotions of others.