Emotional Intelligence For Dummies®

Chapter 19. Ten Ways to Make the World a More Emotionally Intelligent Place

In This Chapter

• Distinguishing between IQ and EQ

• Using your EI to improve your part of the world (and beyond!)

• Influencing others to improve the world

I wrote this book, in part, to introduce you to the benefits of being aware of emotional and social intelligence. When you know more about EI, you may experience direct changes in your thinking, feeling, and behavior. The personal benefits of these changes can improve your life, as well as the lives of people with whom you interact.

However, increasing your emotional intelligence can have benefits greater than the personal benefits you experience. When you become more emotionally intelligent, you begin to understand the important contribution that you can make to the world around you. Being truly emotionally intelligent means caring about others and making a positive impact in the world.

Caring for Others

Throughout this book, I talk about a number of differences between cognitive intelligence (IQ) and emotional intelligence (EQ). For example, someone who has a very high IQ might not contribute very much to society, or might even be cruel to others. You can find many examples throughout history of very intelligent people (intelligent in an IQ way) who contribute little to, or even act destructively against, their fellow human beings.

A few years ago, I was invited to take part in a national television documentary that focused on a Mensa convention. You've probably ...