IQ vs EQ – BOOK SMART vs STREET SMART

Have you ever wondered how some people are book smart, while some are street smart? What’s the difference between these different kinds of “smarts”? A book-smart individual has the capability to think logically and work out abstract ideas, while somebody street smart is a people’s person who is often more emotionally aware. Intelligence Quotient (IQ) and Emotional Quotient (EQ) are measures of peoples’ potential to apply their intellectual and emotional abilities in the best way.

INTELLECTUAL INTELLIGENCE

Intelligence can be perceived as the capacity of an individual to process aspects like communication, learning, emotional knowledge, problem solving, critical thinking, analytical reasoning and logic. It is a basically a reflection of your ability for abstract thought, ingenuity, memory, planning and comprehension. While the average adult has an IQ of 100, most gifted and talented people have IQs in the range of 130-132 with the Genius IQ just over 140. The smartest person ever in the world was Leonardo da Vinci with an IQ of 220. Individuals with a

higher intellectual potential apply logic and excel in challenging roles where they can best utilize their analytical aptitude and extract useful selective information.

The intellectual prowess of any individual is usually gauged by the IQ metric while emotional intelligence is measured using the EQ parameter which is often difficult to quantify.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE—EQ

an intuitive manner, the specific needs and requirements of others and the merits and de-merits of a situation while remaining unaffected by stress.

Individuals with a higher EQ perform best in teams as well as in strong leadership roles since they inspire others and are ready to follow. A higher level of EQ enables one to perform best in a leadership role because emotions are factored in when processing different thoughts.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE—EQ

Emotional Intelligence enables you to read situations, evaluate your own and other peoples’ emotions, while demonstrating attributes like apathy and sensitivity. People with a higher EQ have a heightened awareness of the social, personal and survival aspects of our complex world as they can better read the different political, social and cultural factors. Those who are emotionally sharp can assess through an intuitive manner, the specific needs and requirements of others and the merits and de-merits of a situation while remaining unaffected by stress.
Individuals with a higher EQ perform best in teams as well as in strong leadership roles since they inspire others and are ready to follow. A higher level of EQ enables one to perform best in a leadership role because emotions are factored in when processing different thoughts.

WHAT’S THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EQ and IQ?

EQ plays a pivotal role in boosting self-confidence, empathy and implementing self-control, which are all key attributes required for survival in the real world. IQ and emotional intelligence stem from shared brain areas and create a well-rounded individual. Studies suggest success is largely driven by a combination of 20% IQ and 80% EQ, so the two actually work in harmony with each other.

A high IQ might be needed to get top grades in your academic career while strong emotional intelligence can help you shine in your profession. A viable combination of these parameters is, however, essential for addressing multiple challenges to ensure sustainable success. Like Plato said, “all learning has some emotional basis.”