Last Updated on January 30, 2024 by Editors Desk
The very fact that people often talk about and make numerous efforts for self-development is a sufficient indicator that human beings aspire and yearn for self-development. Humans have a strong desire to know themselves as well as make themselves better. The self is an integration of various aspects of our being and our understanding of them. In academia the aspects of the self have often been classified into mainly three: cognitive, emotional and behavioural.
However, somehow, a lot of attention has been focussed on cognitive and behavioural aspects whereas the emotional aspect has been sidelined and neglected. Over the last century there have been very systematic efforts to study cognition and behaviour and hence there is a lot of literature available on these aspects. However, the neglect of emotions in academia and our daily life is now becoming evident with so many people suffering from emotional problems across the world.
We can see the effects of emotional mismanagement in the form of various problems faced by the world today like the rise in aggression and violence, road rage, bullying, various kinds of addictions, relationship issues, decreasing compassion etc. These problems indicate to the significance of understanding emotions and developing better emotional management skills in individuals.
With the rise in this kind of understanding, the construct of emotional intelligence has been gaining a lot of attention among people. “Emotional intelligence involves competencies related to understanding and manging one’s own emotions, understanding others’ emotions, developing and maintaining satisfying relationships with others and channelling one’s emotional energy to create a positive self”. (Anand, 2017). Hence, emotional intelligence covers the entire range of human emotional experience in terms of understanding emotions, managing emotions, empathy and social skills. Let’s understand how emotional intelligence can help individuals in self-development.
As discussed above, a careful analysis of most problems faced by the world today points to the lack of emotional skills in individuals. Developing emotional intelligence can help individuals in becoming more aware and help them in leading a more fulfilled life. For a better understanding of this let’s look at the components of emotional intelligence proposed by the 3S model of emotional intelligence (Anand, 2017) and what role they play with regard to self-development. Emotional intelligence according to 3S model can be broadly divided into three broad domains: Self-competence, Social-competence, and Self-positive.
The Self-competence domain consists of two components: emotional self-awareness, and emotional self-management. Emotional intelligence helps in becoming aware about one’s emotions. Awareness is the first step towards any kind of development. Hence, becoming aware of one’s emotions, motivations, and goals provides more clarity in terms of who one is and what one aspires to become. The second component of emotional intelligence is emotional self-management.
Once one becomes aware of one’s emotional state, the next step is to learn how to manage one’s emotions in a better way. Individuals who are high on emotional intelligence are better able to manage their emotions. This is because they possess skills which help them in managing their emotions. Hence, these two components of the self-domain help one in understanding and managing themselves in a more positive way. In addition to oneself, emotional intelligence plays a pivotal role in how one relates to the social world.
The Social-competence domain encompasses two main components: empathy, and developing and maintaining relationships. Individuals high on empathy are better able to understand the emotions of those around them and try to understand the other person through that person’s perspective. This helps in building bonds with others and provide help in times of need.
Understanding others is a key gateway to developing a better and clearer understanding of oneself. The fourth component of emotional intelligence is developing and maintaining relationships. For living a well-rounded and fulfilling life having satisfactory relationships with others is crucial. Those high on emotional intelligence value the importance of others in their life and have better communication and conflict resolution skills which enable them in having quality ties with others.
Hence, emotional intelligence encompasses all the aspects of life since it influences both the self and the social domain in a profound way. It shows a crucial way for individuals to be better aware of themselves, manage themselves, be empathic and value relationships with others. What better way to develop oneself and others!
Most models of emotional intelligence consist of the above mentioned four components. In my 3S model of emotional intelligence, I have described a third domain called Self-Positive. The domains of Self-competence and Social-competence describe what ‘is’ in the individual while Self-positive domain illustrates what one is capable of ‘becoming’.
One could say it’s the epitome of emotional intelligence because it delineates how one can attain their full potential. The domain of Self-positive consists of six components: authenticity, positive emotional balance, emotional resilience, self-compassion, self-confidence, and self-motivation. All these six competencies when developed can unleash new waves of positive energy in oneself which can lead an individual to the path of self-development and self-realization.
Any discussion about the competencies for self-development and well-being would be incomplete without discussing their implications for the development of the society. Emotional intelligence as understood by the 3S model if inculcated truly by individuals can make them not only realize their full potential but also discover new ways of contributing positively to the development and well-being of the society at large. Hence, its time that emotional intelligence is given due credit by families, educational institutions, and workplaces since it can bring about a revolution in terms of human and societal flourishing.
References
Anand, P. V. (2017). Emotional intelligence: Journey to Self-positive. Readers Paradise.
