Emotional & Social Intelligence (EQ) is the ability to be aware of your own emotions and of those of others, at the moment, and to use that information to manage yourself and manage your relationships.
Danial Goldman says, EQ is 4 times more important key factor for success than IQ.
IQ will get you a job, EQ will get you a promotion.
One of the most important aspects of building EQ is to develop the ability to name the emotion as you experience it. Validating the emotion with a name, not making it good or bad but allowing it to be ‘just as is’ will help reduce the intensity of the emotion. This, in turn, will help you Manage-self and manage the social setting that you are in.
You will respond and NOT react to a situation.
The eight primary emotions that he identified, which are the basis for all others, are grouped into polar opposites:
Colours – The eight emotions are arranged by colours that establish a set of similar emotions. Primary emotions are located in the second circle. Emotions with softer colours are a mix of the two primary emotions.
Layers – Moving to the centre of the circle intensifies the emotion, so the colours intensify as well. Moving to the outer layers, the colours become less saturated, and the intensity of the emotion lowers.
Relations – The polar opposite emotions are across from each other. The spaces between the emotions demonstrate combinations when primary emotions mix. So, we see the emergence of emotions like love, submission, optimism, aggressiveness, contempt, remorse, disapproval, awe, and submission.
The beauty of this tool is in its ability to simplify complex concepts of emotions. It enables the user to visualize their emotions, and understand which combination of emotions created that outcome.