Recent research suggests that there are many ways in which these two key qualities of human nature relate to each other, and that people with higher levels of one tend to have higher levels of the other.

That is why they are sometimes described as “intra-personal” traits versus “inter- personal” ones.

With respect to cognitive intelligence, researchers find that individuals who feel more confident in their own knowledge and ability are also more likely to believe that others share this knowledge and ability.

And when you are more certain about something, you are less likely to engage in argument or debate over it, because you already have your opinion and don’t need to prove anything to anyone else.

Emotionally intelligent people are aware of how their emotions affect those around them, and they use such feelings to motivate themselves and inspire others to do good.

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In fact, some studies suggest that when someone else experiences an emotion similar to yours, it can actually boost your own emotional well-being.

Definition of emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence is also referred to as “intrapersonal” or “interpersonal” emotional skills. This means that you are aware of your own emotions and how they affect others. You understand what makes you feel different types of feelings and you are able to use these differences to motivate yourself to do things.

You also know how to recognize, manage, and deal with other people’s emotions. In fact, some experts say that having high emotional intelligence is more important than having IQ because it will help you get jobs that don’t require too much logic.

Emotional intelligence can be learned and improved upon. It is said to make someone happier and less stressed out, which both benefits society and individuals.

Link between cognitive and emotional intelligence

Over the past few decades, there has been an increasing interest in how to boost people’s overall psychological “competence.” This term refers to someone’s ability to manage their thoughts and emotions and relate to other people.

Some researchers believe that being more intelligent comes with a lot of social skills, which is why most high-ability individuals are considered socially successful.

However, psychologist Daniel Goleman found that even among highly intelligent people, some have stronger social skills than others. He coined the terms “emotional intelligence” (EI) and “cognitive intelligence” (CI).

People with higher CI can understand and apply logical rules to new situations, but they may struggle to identify and express feelings. In contrast, people with higher EI recognize and respond to what emotions occur around them and know how to use emotion for motivation or fulfillment in life.

Ways to improve cognitive intelligence

Recent research suggests that there are several ways to increase your general cognitive ability, or IQ. These include learning how to learn, using strategies for perception and thinking, and improving understanding of concepts and knowledge.

A lot of people believe that being smart comes naturally to some people, but this isn’t always the case. It takes work and practice to get smarter!

By increasing your overall cognitive capacity, you can reach your full potential as an individual and a member of society. This is an important factor in creating successful relationships, careers, and lives.

There are many different types of cognitive skills that contribute to higher IQs, such as attention, processing speed, memory, and motivation. While most people have control over their short-term memory, they may forget something later on which impacts what they do next.

Practicing mindfulness also helps keep memories fresh in the long run. Starting each day with a brief meditation can help achieve this.

Ways to improve emotional intelligence

Recent developments in understanding emotional intelligence have led to it being categorized into different domains. These include cognitive, intrapersonal, interpersonal, and transpersonal levels of expertise.

Research has shown that improving your EQ at any one of these areas can strengthen yours overall. This is because each domain includes several components that make up the bigger picture.

One of these components is how well you understand yourself. Your sense of self-knowledge or “self-efficacy” is an important factor in achieving success in other areas of EQ.

Self-knowledge is knowing who you are and what makes you feel good about yourself. It helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses as a person, and recognize important life lessons such as patience, gratitude, and forgiveness.

Given all this, there are many ways to boost your self-confidence and knowledge of emotion. Here are 10 smart strategies for improvement.

Hire the right person

While there is no one definition of each, they do share several characteristics. First, they are both sought after in employment. People who have high cognitive or emotional intelligence are typically paid well and given responsibility.

Second, people with higher levels of either ability hire others that show similar traits. They want to work for individuals who demonstrate these skills because it creates an environment where everyone is able to succeed.

Third, when someone else has what you look for in mental abilities, you give them credit for their qualities and recognize them as having talent. You may even feel jealous of how well they perform certain tasks, but never call into question whether they belong at your organization.

Fourth, people who have high levels of cognitive or emotional intelligence are loyal. Not only do they put in effort towards achieving goals, they also stick around while doing so. On the other hand, people who are not very socially intelligent often burn out due to the need to constantly reassure others that things will be okay.

Build a good team

As we have discussed, cognitive intelligence is your ability to process information, understand concepts and apply them, and social intelligence or empathy is being able to predict how others feel and what makes them happy or unhappy.

But there is one more important quality that goes beyond these three areas — something that is just as crucial in creating a successful team but that many people forget about at least until they need to hire someone.

This quality is emotional intelligence (or EI for short). Just like with other types of intelligence, there are theories about why some people seem to have higher levels of it than others.

And while most experts agree that having high EQ is better than low, some believe that it’s not totally necessary because you can still lead a satisfying life even if you don’t relate well to people.

That might be true, but here's the thing: leading a satisfying life isn't quite the same as achieving success.

As we've seen before, mental qualities such as motivation, self-control and optimism help us achieve both of those things. And while lots of smart people didn’t really care much about anyone else, some very intelligent people who were emotionally distant also managed to succeed.

So developing your own level of EQ could make a big difference when it comes to leadership.

Be consistent

As we have discussed, cognitive intelligence is your ability to learn and apply knowledge to new situations. This seems like a straightforward definition, but it can be tricky to measure.

Most people use social skills as a way to assess how well you manage your cognitive abilities. For example, if someone spends most of the time talking about sports, then they may assume that this person does not understand personal development or psychology. Therefore, these individuals may give limited opportunities and credit for what you know.

On the other hand, an individual who is passionate about politics will probably know more than anyone else in the room. Because they are invested in the topic, they will likely speak with much greater depth than others.

If you feel that your cognitive intelligence is being undervalued, try introducing something new just once a week. You could start by reading one article per day, then two articles each week, and eventually lean on only investing in yourself every few weeks.

Practice meditation

While there are some theories that suggest cognitive intelligence is in control of emotional intelligence, no one really agrees on which comes first. Some believe that people with higher IQs tend to have more developed emotions, while others think it’s the other way around.

Whatever theory you choose to believe, practicing mindfulness has been shown to improve both types of intelligence. This includes spending time doing things like breathing exercises, thinking about what you want to do, and focusing on only yourself for short periods of time.

Meditating can also help reduce stress and anxiety, two factors that can sometimes hinder your mental performance. Given how important good mental health is, why not invest in yours?

There are many different ways to mediate, so pick one that feels comfortable to you. Some common ones include yoga, tai chi, and just sitting down and looking at the wall for a few minutes every day.