Is Your EQ Consistent with Your IQ?

EQ or Emotional Intelligence (popularly referred to as EQ) is a term that’s been around a while. Author Daniel Goleman brought it into prominence in the 1980s with his best-seller, you guessed it, “Emotional Intelligence.” What is EQ and how is it different from IQ? And, why does it matter, anyways?

IQ, as we know, is an individual’s ability to learn, memorize, problem solve, reason, communicate, and process information. Scientists believe that both genetics and the environment can influence IQ and that it cuts across gender and ethnicity. Myriad tests are available on the market that assess IQ and are used as predictors of an individual’s educational achievement or “giftedness.” The higher the score on these tests, the higher your IQ—it’s that simple.

For example, the general population’s IQ hovers around100; a person with superior intelligence power would have an IQ that’s between 110 – 140; a score of 140 and above generally characterizes various levels of brilliance, including genius. Some famous geniuses includes: Isaac Newton - 190, Albert Einstein – 160, Bill Gates – 160, Bill Clinton – 137, Benjamin Netanyahu – 180, Comedian Steve Martin – 142. (source: http://www.kids-iq-tests.com/famous-people.html. Not sure how they derive IQ of historic figures since IQ tests, as they are used today, were developed only a hundred or so years ago).

The irony is these IQ tests were originally developed to identify the cognitive deficiencies of mentally-disabled children so it could help architect their individual education plans. Today, IQ is used to determine everything from a student’s academic strengths and weaknesses to school placement, and is the ticket to academic and professional success. Consequently, parents invest wholeheartedly in their children’s academic development—sometimes, too much. Many local, national, and international organizations offer stimulating intellectual opportunities for people with high IQs. Most Nobel Prize winners have high IQ. Higher IQ students perform better on the GRE and the SAT than their lower IQ counterparts. Per research, individuals with higher IQs are more likely to perform better at work and less likely to engage in crime. Is it surprising why society hails intellectual competence and (I believe erroneously) equates it to personal success?

Let’s address EQ, which is an individual’s ability to identify, assess, and manage their own emotions and of others. There, I think I just lost some of my gentlemen readers!

Seriously, “emotions” is an uncomfortable topic for many. It’s like floss stuck in teeth. One emotion in particular fascinates me: fear. I firmly believe all negative and self-defeating behaviors arise from fear. The inability to connect to others, failure to understand and respect others’ opinions, the need for control, insecurities, poor decisions, inaction, egotism, perfectionism, low self-esteem—all stem from fear, and result in various forms of suffering, physical, mental, emotional, psychological.

The obvious answer lies in acknowledging and accepting fears, and, in doing so, transcending suffering. However, this process demands “change,” a phenomenon most individuals resist because of beliefs based on bias, ego gratification, or error. The other reality is changing a situation requires letting go of our comfort zone, which can be downright frightening. Know someone stuck in an unhealthy relationship? Ever recall a pesky coworker ranting about their unfulfilled dreams and ambitions? Remember dreading the results of a final exam?

Only freedom from fear can lead to freedom from suffering.

Query

Your high IQ helps connect you to the external universe, but how connected do you feel to your family and your “inner” universe? Your intellectual depth has garnered much admiration and respect, but does your temper and ego take center-stage during conversations? Your intellectual competence makes you a sought-after professional, but do your personal relationships have you bolting in the opposite direction? You’re an action-oriented professional, but are you able to rid your life of stagnation and open up to new things? Is your EQ consistent with your IQ?

Questions are for you to ask; the answers will come find you. Vipassana meditation, the passport to freedom, can help an individual release irrational fears and negativity; help face difficulties and social pressures in a calm, patient, and relaxed way; help develop the faculties of empathy, understanding, and respect; help enhance patience, persistence, and positive thinking; and help alleviate suffering. The result is a life filled with a deeply satisfying sense of freedom.