October 26, 2025 | 3:43pm
It’s not just knowledge and experience that matters in personal and work relationships — it’s also about how we make others feel.
We’ve all grown up hearing how important intelligence quotient or IQ is, and how being smart, sharp, and strategic opens more doors. But in the 21st century, there’s another kind of intelligence often undervalued yet quietly running the show: emotional intelligence or EQ.
EQ is a skill that helps us stay calm in chaos, read the room without a word, and connect deeply with others — whether in boardrooms or coffee tables. It’s what turns communication into understanding and teamwork into trust.
It’s also about how being liked makes others willing to go the extra mile for you. And how EQ promotes deep, harmonious and lasting relationships.
At work, EQ is that unspoken edge. It allows managers to guide a stressed-out team through a deadline without losing composure or empathy. It helps colleagues know when to speak up and when to listen.
In this time of remote meetings and constant emails, EQ is a bridge that keeps human connections alive, even through screens.
Outside of work, EQ is the glue that keeps relationships steady. It’s about pausing before reacting, listening instead of fixing and expressing what we feel without hurting others. It reminds us that not every disagreement needs a winner and that sometimes, all that is needed is understanding.
The good news is that emotional wisdom isn’t fixed. It grows with awareness. A little self-check before replying, a little curiosity about what others might be feeling — these small acts build EQ over time.
In a world that moves fast, EQ slows us down just enough to stay kind, steady and real with people in our lives.
Because at the end of the day, success at work or in life isn’t just about being right and smart. It’s about being human, and having those we need and value want to be with us, hopefully — happy forever after.
