What makes an individual smart? Some experts claim there are two ways to be considered smart, while others claim nine! Which ways of being smart actually influence success and happiness? There are three ways of being smart that have a significant impact on your achievement, and the first one has minimal effect. Fortunately, you can influence the two ways of being smart that matter the most.
Build the critical ways of being smart and enjoy more success:
- Pure IQ is the common term related to being smart that we all know. High IQ’s is what “smart” people have. When you think of Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison, you generally are referring to this type of brainpower. Those with a high intelligence quotient tend to:
- Learn complex concepts quickly.
- Have greater employment opportunities available, since they can successfully matriculate through a wider range of college majors. Becoming a physician or astrophysicist is common place to them. However, a high IQ won’t necessarily help you be a better real estate agent than someone with an average IQ.
- Are able to associate seemingly unrelated fields and concepts.
- But high IQ does not always equal success. There are many smart people unable to hold a job that meets their intellectual capacity and are underemployed. Evidently, more is needed than just a high IQ to be successful.
- Emotional intelligence can be more imperative than intellectual intelligence. How does it benefit an individual to know a lot of facts and figures, yet can’t control themselves or relate to others effectively? Those with high emotional intelligence are in tune with themselves and the world they live in. They are also able to detect and respond accordingly to emotional displays by others.
- Those with high emotional intelligence are viewed as “balanced people.” They don’t have temper tantrums,they can detect social cues, and they can manage their own emotions.
- A lack of emotional intelligence can create numerous challenges. Those that lack emotional intelligence can be impatient, frustrated, hurt the feelings of others, and act like a bull in a china shop. They do not engage in self-reflection nor do they focus on how others will interpret their actions and words.
- Those with high emotional intelligence are frequently more successful than those with a high IQ. There are few fields that require a high IQ to be competitive. There are many other professions where emotional intelligence matters far more
3. Interpersonal intelligence is the ability to act appropriately in social situations. It’s the ability to do and say appropriate things in the proper context. For example, someone being loud at a wedding or cursing at a company Christmas party isn’t displaying a high level of interpersonal intelligence. Being too informal with a stranger or an authority figure also shows a lack of interpersonal intelligence.
What can you do to enhance these three Ways of Being Smart?
It’s generally accepted that you can’t change your IQ. However, you can always learn more. You can easily engage in educational experiences which enhance knowledge. You can learn public speaking skills, take voice lessons, learn calculus, or how to speak Spanish.
Emotional intelligence and interpersonal intelligence can be honed quickly. You can enhance your social skills, emotional skills, and learn appropriate behavior for various settings. Many self- help books have been written about emotional and interpersonal intelligence. You can learn these skills in the comfort of your own home; however, you must practice them in the real world. As you practice these skills and tweak them they will become second nature.
Learn what you need to know to become an expert in your area of interest. Also, perfect your emotional and interpersonal intelligence. Deficiencies in these two ways of being smart can have a negative impact on your achievement and ultimately your success in life.
