Almost everyone is familiar with IQ, or "Intelligence Quotient", a measurement of intelligence arrived at by tests of reasoning and comprehension. A little less well-known is EQ, which refers to emotional intelligence. We know what emotions are-happiness, sadness, fear, anger, boredom, surprise-but what, specifically, is the meaning of emotional intelligence? Simply put, emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive, understand, express and control emotions. At the most basic level, perception: being "in touch" with your emotions, as well as the emotions of others. When you feel bad, do you know specifically what you are feeling? Is it anger, fear, anxiety, sadness, or just boredom? How accurately you can evaluate your feelings is a measure of emotional intelligence. Another important component is how well you can correctly identify the emotions of others. Most of us tend to do this subconsciously, through the observation of facial expressions, body language, and vocal tone, as well as consciously, by listening to what others say (however, if those to whom you are listening are not well in touch with their own emotions, or have a reason to be duplicitous about how they are feeling, it's best to go with the non-verbal cues).
