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There are many myths surrounding emotional intelligence. In this episode, I address 7 myths that I hear the most.

Myth 1 – 0:47

In addition to the studies done on emotional intelligence, here is my take on what emotional intelligence really is and how it has existed even before it was coined as a term in the late 1980s. From religion to the military to even Shakespeare, some of these connections may surprise you.

Myth 2 & 3 – 8:00 & 9:56

How malleable is your level of emotional intelligence? Some people think it’s impossible to change and others think that it’s not that difficult to change. Neither is true. With all of the perspectives and beliefs people build up for themselves over the years, change becomes hard. Yet that is necessary to raise one’s EQ. See how Mark Zuckerberg is the perfect example.

Myth 4 – 11:10

Do you think EQ is just fluff? Find out where you can apply it and what kind of difference it could make. From even the world of finance to sales to entrepreneurship, working on your emotional intelligence has become a requirement for success in these fields.

Myth 5 -13:21

Let’s discuss the paradox of control when it comes to emotional intelligence. Do you really gain control over your emotions by raising your EQ? Or does it have another effect that’s even better?

Myth 6 – 14:49

Being able to get in touch with other people’s feelings isn’t the core of emotional intelligence. In fact, doing that can be dangerous. True empathy is being able to take the perspective of others. And in order to do that, one needs to work the two foundations of emotional intelligence: self awareness and self management. Find out why these matter and what they can do when it comes your relationships with others.

Myth 7 – 15:49

Where is emotional intelligence necessary? Hint: it’s not everywhere! Find out when you would want to work on it and when you don’t need to. There’s also a dark side to EQ.

EQ Protip: 17:13

Here I give you a crash course on how to handle disagreements effectively. It’s easy to get heated up and turn a disagreement into a heated argument. But there is an emotionally intelligent alternative to that scenario. Find out what you can do to handle yourself during your next debate.

References:

• Harvard Business Review: Can You Really Improve Your Emotional Intelligence?
• Facebook’s Lessons in Leadership
• What Emotional Intelligence Is And Is Not