Emotions are a state of feeling or affective consciousness derived from one’s circumstances, moods, or relationship with others. All human beings are full of emotions that occur at different times depending on the different situations. The five main or basic emotions which are present in every person are joy, fear, disgust, sadness, and anger. It is very important for all of us to identify our emotions properly. It is also important for every individual to be able to control one’s own emotions and channelize them in an optimistic way. This process of identifying emotions and channelizing them in a required manner is known as emotional intelligence.

Emotional Intelligence also refers to identifying and understanding the emotions of others. Having emotional intelligence is very important to be able to face all the challenges (whether personal or professional) positively and in a better way. Therefore, emotional intelligence is important for being successful in life. People with a high degree of emotional intelligence are able to understand what they are feeling at a particular time, what their emotions actually mean and how those emotions can affect other people around. They are also able to understand what others feel and also take decisions wisely.

According to Daniel Goleman, an American psychologist there are five main characteristics of Emotional Intelligence:

1. Self-awareness: People with high emotional intelligence have a better understanding of their emotions and feelings. This means they are aware of their strengths and weaknesses, work upon them to have a better performance level over different fields. Self-awareness is a major part of emotional intelligence as, if one is not aware about his/her own emotions then he/she will not be able to take decisions properly.
2. Self-regulation: Self-regulation is the ability of the person to control their emotions and impulses to be able to act properly during any circumstances. This helps the person to not get angry or jealous easily. In results, they are able to take more careful decisions. For example: if the head of the office gets angry even on minor things then he will not be able to have good relations with his employees and will not be able to take a wise decisions for the betterment of his team and company.
3. Motivation: People with high emotional intelligence are highly motivated and highly productive. Their long term goals are to only focus on success with full dedication and determination. They love to take challenges and are able to work effectively in order to complete their challenges.
4. Empathy: Empathy is an important characteristic that should be present in every person to have a better understanding of the people around him. It helps the person to identify the emotions that of others around him, understand their wants, needs, and viewpoints. Empathetic people do not judge quickly and enjoy their life in an honest way.
5. Social Skills: Social skills are another important characteristic of an emotionally intelligent person. They focus on the team as a whole rather than just focusing on individual growth. They are able to settle disputes with wise thinking and maintain good relationships with everyone.

Clearly, we can say that people having all the above-mentioned characteristics have high emotional intelligence, will be more successful in their life and will take decisions properly.

Emotional intelligence is important to have self-regard to be able to accept one own self, to have a social responsibility to have good relations with everyone, to be able to make decisions for the betterment of one own self as well as for the team, to be able to control emotions and not say anything which is not required, to be able to negotiate and not feel stressed about circumstances. Therefore, emotional intelligence is an important aspect of everyone’s personal as well as corporate life.