A sneak peek into social intelligence

What is social intelligence?

Social intelligence is the art of mastering social relations while being aware of oneself. Humans are social animals, we like being respected and staying in the good books of others and social intelligence is the path which leads us there

Intelligence is an interplay of nature and nurture. However, Social intelligence (SI) is mostly learned through social experience and interactions with others. Day-to-day experiences, friendships & other social relationships play a significant role in acquiring social intelligence. The term social intelligence can be used interchangeably with what we call interpersonal intelligence. Our very first group of socialization is our family, followed by school, college or workplaces.

All good leaders are socially intelligent or socially intelligent people have leadership traits. It is also referred to as common sense or street smartness. Social intelligence is highly correlated with emotional intelligence. This refers to the fact that emotionally intelligent individuals are likely to be high on social intelligence.

Socially intelligent beings are verbally fluent and can have interactions with different people. They are tactful and have social expressiveness skills. Socially intelligent individuals know very well how to play multiple social roles. They are also well-versed with the informal code of conduct, that guides social interactions.

Socially intelligent individuals are generally empathetic, good listeners and understand the situations of other people. Therefore, others feel connected with them. They are confident and high on self-efficacy. Such individuals can balance or regulate the image they portray to others.
Adaptable, cooperative, helpful, adjusting, and accommodating are a few other traits of socially intelligent individuals.

Here are a few tips to enhance your social intelligence:

• Be aware of yourself and your surroundings.

• Have a positive approach.

• Try to be an active listener.

• Respect individuals and cultural differences.

• Appreciate the point of view of others.

You can also go through a self-assessment to check the levels of your social intelligence/ social quotient (SQ). Get in touch with HopeQure if you wish to talk to an online psychologist.