Pearl Nash
Are you wondering what it means to be an emotionally intelligent person?
If someone has high levels of emotional intelligence, it means they have a solid grasp on their emotions.
Emotional intelligence is being aware about your emotions and how you affect others.
But how can you spot an emotionally intelligent person? Here are 10 ten traits to look out for.
1) They seem easygoing
Emotionally intelligent people know that perfectionism isn’t achievable.
They’re fully aware that being perfect is a myth, which causes people to waste their energy and be unnecessarily hard on themselves.
So… what do emotionally intelligent people do? They choose to be easygoing!
Rather than chasing the notion of perfectionism, this means they allow themselves to make mistakes along the way.
Better yet, they shrug off mistakes and think about how they can approach things differently next time.
Their mindset means they don’t let mistakes bog them down.
2) They are self-aware
Emotionally intelligent people have a self-awareness that is different to others.
Simply put, they recognize why they are feeling certain emotions – be it anger, sadness, frustration or excitement.
And most importantly, they recognize why.
They step back from situations to see the triggers or cues for certain emotions, so they can assess why something happened.
The reason emotionally intelligent people do this is to learn.
Rather than thinking ‘oh, I’m just mad right now’, they seek to understand why so they can better understand their behavior and grow as a human being.
In other words, emotionally intelligent people have growth mindsets.
3) Change is something they embrace
Change is scary and uncomfortable, but it is a part of life…
… And emotionally intelligent people know this.
As an alternative to fearing change, emotionally intelligent people welcome it with open arms because it presents new opportunities.
Emotionally intelligent people are totally on board with the stance that change allows us to evolve and grow, and experience new things.
For instance, a friend of mine who is highly emotionally intelligent, is a master at embracing change. This has meant she’s lived a fascinating life!
She’s lived in loads of different places and has tried her hand at different pursuits – inviting change into her life time and time again. Each time, she’s loved it.
It just shows that embracing change isn’t a bad thing!
4) They are grateful
Emotionally intelligent people move through the world with a gratitude mindset.
Simply put, they appreciate the things around them!
This is from the food on their plates to the people in their lives, and everything else in between.
They’re tuned into radio gratitude, which means they take the time to reflect on all of the great things in their lives on a regular basis.
Emotionally intelligent people don’t veer towards thoughts of lack… Rather they are humble about what they do have.
What’s more, this doesn’t mean they don’t strive for more; they still have dreams, but they also appreciate what they have in the here and now.
5) They can self-regulate
Now, someone can say they’re emotionally intelligent but that doesn’t mean anything…
Emotional intelligence is reflected in someone’s behaviors.
If a person has a good handle on their emotions, they’ll be able to self-regulate, and deal with challenges in a calm and collected way.
In case you might be asking yourself: would an emotionally intelligent person shout at another driver? The answer is probably not.
Rather than ‘seeing red’ and letting fury bubble over, emotionally intelligent people are likely to shrug occurrences off that are out of their control and to have a good perspective on situations.
Sure, they can feel anger rising in them when someone cuts them up in traffic, but they breathe instead of shouting.
They know that shouting isn’t going to help their situation – and that they’ll be the loser in the end if they do lose their cool.
6) They are empathetic
You’ll find that highly emotionally intelligent people are among the most empathetic out there.
Even if an emotionally intelligent person has never experienced what someone is going through exactly, they can still empathize.
They do this through trying to put themselves in the position of the other person.
In other words, they put themselves in someone else’s shoes.
For example, I consider myself an emotionally intelligent person and it’s something that is serving me well at the moment while my mom is going through turmoil.
Even though I don’t understand what it feels like to be in her body, I’m able to extend empathy and to show her I care.
You see, emotionally intelligent people do their best to acknowledge and understand where another person is coming from… And they hold space.
7) They have open minds
People with high levels of emotional intelligence are generally more open-minded than others.
They don’t cling super tightly to the things they believe… And they’re open to hearing what someone else has to say!
In other words, they’re not dismissive of others’ opinions.
They can also be seen as being more diplomatic, as they listen to everyone’s opinions and don’t rush to get into a debate.
Emotionally intelligent people know that listening to other people presents new perspectives, which offers a chance to learn something new.
As I explained earlier, emotionally intelligent people are big on learning and growing.
8) They know their strengths and weaknesses
Emotionally intelligent people don’t make fools of themselves because they know what they are good at…
…And they know what they suck at!
For instance, say they know they’re not the best at math but they know they’re a brilliant speaker.
You won’t see them trying to add up the bill at the end of a big birthday dinner, but you might hear them reading out a poem at the table.
Simply put, they know their strengths and they have no shame in doubling down on them. What’s more, they don’t do it from an arrogant place.
Emotionally intelligent people are happy with what their strengths and weaknesses look like; they know that one person can’t be the best at everything.
9) They’re super focused
Ask an emotionally intelligent person to get something done for you, and they will.
This breed of folks are laser-focused so they get the job done…
…No matter the distractions!
You can easily spot an emotionally intelligent person working in a room: their eyes will be fixed on the task at hand, and they won’t be jumping between different things.
Truth is, emotionally intelligent people know that it’s not effective to stop-and-start different tasks.
They know that they’re better off doing one thing first and doing it to a high standard, before they move on to the next thing.
You could say that they don’t like to spread themselves too thin.
10) Their curious types
By now, you know that emotionally intelligent people always see situations as chances to learn.
In other words, they are always seeking out new opportunities and looking to plug gaps in their knowledge.
This naturally makes them curious!
Emotionally intelligent people want to know how things are made; why something is a certain way; and who did what.
So, don’t be surprised if they ask you a million questions about a topic!
They are the sort of people that inspire others to have more curiosity about the world and things around them.
Better yet, their curiosity is sincere and it is truly never-ending.
