Emotional intelligence is linked to a host of positive outcomes in life—improved mental health, greater success at work and school and possibly even higher IQ scores. EQ is the new IQ, and, in many ways, serves as a greater predictor of success. However, schools often fail to implement enough social and emotional learning programs to help students succeed.
There’s a lot of buzz these days about emotional intelligence, or EQ, and why it should be part of schools and education. It’s said that EQ has huge benefits, from better relationships to better performance at school and work. But what is emotional intelligence, anyway?
In 1990, the world was introduced to the term “emotional intelligence” (aka EI or EQ) as a new means to understand human intellect when Peter Solovey and John D. Mayer posited the significance of EQ in their article titled “Emotional Intelligence.”
Emotional intelligence wasn’t always a known—or acknowledged—component of success until 1990 when psychologists John D. Mayer and Peter Salovey published their paper on what would later become a new way of defining intelligence. Not only did the paper introduce the term ‘emotional intelligence’ or EQ to the world, it also led to a new understanding of how our emotional make-up impacts our lives.
According to many experts, having an enhanced capacity to understand one’s own emotions as well as those of others, is a pivotal determinant of success, even arguably more so than a high IQ. This skill is referred to as emotional intelligence (EQ).
It’s no secret that emotional intelligence and social-emotional learning don’t get the exposure that they deserve. It’s all too common to bring up EQ in a parent-teacher conference and be met with blank stares.
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EQuip Our Kids! is a national nonprofit campaign raising awareness about EQ life skills, especially among parents and businesses. Our goal is comprehensive EQ life skills instruction in every preK -12 classroom in the US by 2030.
