Social Intelligence

What Is Social Intelligence?

It includes our awareness of situations and the social dynamics that govern them, our insight into our own perceptions and reaction patterns aided by our precise knowledge of communication styles and strategies which help us achieve our objectives.

Social Intelligence consists in our ability to get along well with others and to get them to co-operate, or, at least, not compete with us. It is more than just knowing if someone is angry or sad, though. People with social intelligence are able to communicate and work well with others. It is an important leadership quality.

Also, people with social intelligence can put themselves in the place of another person and guess how that person might feel. They respect other peoples’ feelings and can work with them to solve problems.

It is fair to say that social intelligence encompasses the whole range of our relationship with other humans and with the world in general. The lack of it would mean living in an alienated world where no one bothers about anyone.

Importance of Social Intelligence

1. Social intelligence helps you hear and understand others’ concerns.
2. It helps you work effectively with others because you can sense when people are getting tired or are excited about a new idea.
3. Social intelligence helps you understand other people’s thoughts and actions. People with social intelligence are inclusive. That means that they are open to people joining them in an activity.
4. When you give a report in front of an audience, you speak and act differently than you do around your colleagues or friends. It takes social intelligence to adapt to these different situations.
5. Social intelligence is intimately involved in the issues of life’s meaning, for people use social intelligence in the service of the major life tasks. Life tasks are the ends, and social intelligence is the means.