IQ or EQ: Which One Is More Important?

IQ vs. EQ, hasn’t this been an age old battle? This was probably a prominent topic of debate even during the Stone Age! So what is it right?

IQ vs. EQ shouldn’t it be easy to determine by now? I mean we have been to the moon people!

So why hasn’t this debate ended?

But guess what?

It really isn’t that easy?

Well for starters, IQ or intelligence quotient and EQ or emotional quotient don’t just mean being street smart or just being emotional, it’s much deeper than that!

Shall we begin?

First of all, you need to understand that Even though IQ is often associated with logical thoughts, strong command over languages, scientific or mathematical breakthroughs, In all honesty, it really isn’t that simple.

Having a high IQ can mean trying to convince someone by using facts, Maybe just reasoning with people rationally, Or it can mean you are an over achiever and do not struggle during mental or academic activities.

There really isn’t just one definition. But, the question that excites and baffles most people is, if it can be measured? Wouldn’t we want to know if we are a genius? What if you have been a genius all your life? Well the prayers have been answered, in fact Believe it or not; the answers have always been around from many decades.

In fact, there are many tests that can be done to find your IQ score. Yes, you can measure intelligence. How cool is that? Or maybe just weird! You decide. But through these tests, if you get a high score, you are either a born intellectual or a super genius! There are many methods or tests available to determine the IQ of an individual.

However the most common equation used is (mental age divided by chronological age) x 100. Other tests involve testing ones memory, making them solve problems related to different niches, etc

So now that we have the basic understanding of IQ, the next big question that has probably baffled many is, what is Emotional Quotient? Is it same or is it different? Well, most of the time the emotional quotient of an individual can be associated with creativity, being in sync with one’s mind and body or maybe someone’s dedication and respect for art and music. But that isn’t quite right.

A high EQ can even mean reasoning with others using emotions. EQ can also be defined as the ability to understand not just one’s own emotions , but also the people around them and then using that understanding to build better relationships leading to the betterment of the entire society.

However, EQ necessarily doesn’t apply to the stereotypical extrovert. Unlike popular belief, being social isn’t really synonymous with having a high EQ. Having a high EQ can even mean having empathy for others and having the ability to read their emotions better than most people.

But someone with a high EQ should be able to control and manage those emotions too. It should be applied effectively during practical situations. People with high EQ don’t just think about themselves all the time, they are focused at ‘we’ rather than ‘me’. This is what mostly sets them apart from rest of the crowd.

Many believe that a High IQ is the nature’s gift to a few which can only be nurtured forever but cannot be developed later in life. But the fact is undeniable that it’s hard for a person to be a true born genius and even harder for them to slave their way through, to be one!

However there are a few common traits that a lot of geniuses share, so look closely at yourself, because there’s a high chance you could be one too.

The below mentioned traits are the most common and weird traits that many with high IQ’s posses:

• Do you often underestimate yourself? Yes, this is a very common tendency among geniuses.
• Do you often relate to curious George? Geniuses do not have a limit to their curiosity. They learn and want to keep learning.
• Has anyone ever called you a ‘giraffe’, the ‘Eiffel tower’ or addressed you with other over used nicknames for tall people? Guess what? Many studies have proved that tall people are often geniuses.
• Do you often get in trouble for debating with basically everyone over mostly everything? The next time your debates are misunderstood as arguments, you know who the smart one is!
• Are you forgetful? Smart people often tend to forget things, crazy right?
• That brings me to the next trait. Have you ever been called crazy?
• Do you think that your cognitive ability and understanding of space separates you from the herd? Or to be precise you think your spatial perception is different from that of others? Then, you might want to get yourself tested for IQ because there is a high chance, you might turn out to be a genius!
• Hey weirdo, do you often fiddle with a piece of paper and draw on it? Turns out, you are genius.
• Hey musical geniuses, get that guitar now! Many geniuses of play some or the other kind of an instrument.
• Are you a scaredy cat? Most people with high IQ’s are quite fearful.
• Do people call you the ‘funny’ one? Many studies have shown possible links between being funny and being intelligent.
• Have you been accused of being lazy? Geniuses are often lazy so Next time take pride in it!
• Is reading something you love and cherish from the heart? Reading is also associated with high intelligence.
• Have you ever been accused of being dirty and messy? Intelligent people are often messy with their work!
• Are you a night owl? Insomnia is also linked with intelligence.
• Do you love a good challenge? People with high IQ love challenges and often excel at them.
• Hey cat lady you are a genius! Many studies have shown that cat owners often have high IQ’s

Don’t be disappointed if you don’t have the above mentioned traits, maybe you will relate to these following traits that are found among most people with high EQ’s.

• Hey you empathetic soul!
• You have found the perfect way to balance both private and professional life!
• People with high IQ’s are people pleasers.
• You are not afraid of change. In fact, you appreciate and adapt.
• Do you always push and motivate yourself to be better in life and in that journey take others on top too? You are emotionally intelligent!
• People with high EQ’s are curious too. They don’t believe perfection exists. They do their best to learn and get better at things and are always open to new possibilities.
• They are great at controlling and managing their emotions.

Now that you have established the possibilities of being a genius or possessing high IQ or EQ, are you worried that it might get reduced? Well take a breather because that’s not possible. However, your upbringing or your surrounding factors might play a role in shaping you overall.

So, now that you know so much about the two, why don’t you decide it for yourself! But you should know, choosing either one isn’t really fair. Thus in this battle, there is no winner. We need both of these to co –exist.

We have learnt many subjects in school to increase our IQ but no one really thought us the importance of EQ. We are social animals and living life is all about building relationships within others. We cannot survive in isolation.

True success comes when there is IQ with EQ. IQ gets you through school but EQ gets you through life. If low EQ takes over high IQ , it can lead to denial in many people. They might not only deny their mistakes, but may also blame others for it. This in turn will not only make them ignorant but can even leave them ill- informed.

We all make mistakes, irrespective of the IQ or the EQ levels. However, if someone has a high IQ on paper but in real life, he keeps on making the mistakes, he isn’t really a smart person. So it really doesn’t matter if you have high or low IQ’s or EQ’s, as long as you have confidence in yourself and you understand your role in being a better person. Humility will take you a long way.