By Janae Ernst
Emotional intelligence is a fantastic gift. It makes you sensitive to the feelings of others, gives you the ability to harness emotions and allows you to use your own emotions for good.
We've all interacted with someone who has a low emotional intelligence. It's really frustrating, right? When you tell them you're struggling with a problem or feeling down, they look at you as if you've just told them you are part android. They don't get it.
Or when they see you stay calm in the midst of a chaotic situation, they think you're some sort of superhuman because you don't get angry or fall into a fetal position inducing panic. In reality, you just have a relatively high emotional intelligence.
Researcher Daniel Goleman puts it like this:
If your emotional abilities aren't in hand, if you don't have self-awareness, if you are not able to manage your distressing emotions, if you can't have empathy and have effective relationships, then no matter how smart you are, you are not going to get very far.
But being emotionally intelligent isn't all sunshine and roses. With every gift comes unique challenges. Strong leaders can be domineering. Creative geniuses can struggle with organization.
It's human nature. We all have our faults and flaws.
If you're emotionally intelligent, you need to be keenly aware of the downsides your gift presents. If you're not, you can find yourself in challenging, even harmful situations. That may sound extreme, but it's true.
What are these downsides?
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