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Without logical intelligence, your ability to reason out problems and find solutions would be limited. Playing Battleship and chess probably wouldn’t be all that fun either. Balancing a budget, doing your taxes, or slaying the beast that is long division is a challenge without mathematical intelligence.

Writing a proper email and crossing the street safely will prove more than troublesome without linguistic and kinesthetic intelligence, respectively. But mental prowess offers, at most, a narrow understanding of humanity. Logic or mathematical intelligence won’t help you comfort a grieving friend. Linguistic or kinesthetic intelligence won’t offer any insight into why you’re so angry at your boss right now, or why you’re not happy with your life or your relationships. This is where emotional intelligence comes in. And while you may be able get a good education and a lucrative job relying solely on your book smarts, it’s only half of the success equation.

Analyzing data from nearly 34,809 people who took our Emotional Intelligence Test, we discovered that while the combination of high EQ and IQ (as measured by grades in school) are the perfect superhero duo, strong emotional intelligence alone can still lead to a successful and fulfilling life. Here’s what our study revealed:

Socioeconomic Status

Of the people who are in the $75,000 or higher economic bracket:

  • 43% have a high IQ and EQ
  • 31% have a low IQ but high EQ
  • 37% have a high IQ but low EQ
  • 16% have a low IQ and EQ

Job Performance

Of the people whose performance at work has been rated as “Good” or “Excellent”:

  • 72% have a high IQ and EQ
  • 63% have a low IQ but high EQ
  • 38% have a high IQ but low EQ
  • 16% have a low IQ and EQ

Social Popularity

Of those who are popular:

  • 70% have a high IQ and EQ
  • 62% have a low IQ but high EQ
  • 37% have a high IQ but low EQ
  • 29% have a low IQ and EQ

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Frequency of Conflict

Of those who rarely find themselves getting into arguments or conflicts:

  • 68% have a high IQ and EQ
  • 65% have a low IQ but high EQ
  • 32% have a high IQ but low EQ
  • 31% have a low IQ and EQ

Relationship Satisfaction

Of those who are satisfied with their personal and professional relationships:

  • 79% have a high IQ and EQ
  • 67% have a low IQ but high EQ
  • 36% have a high IQ but low EQ
  • 31% have a low IQ and EQ

Life Satisfaction

Of those who are satisfied with their life:

  • 82% have a high IQ and EQ
  • 71% have a low IQ but high EQ
  • 35% have a high IQ but low EQ
  • 20% have a low IQ and EQ

While the combination of strong EQ and IQ can lead to a happy and successful life, having only emotional intelligence is not too shabby. As our study has shown, people who are emotionally intelligent but not very book smart can still find a lucrative job and excel at that job. They are also more likely to be happy, popular, and have fulfilling relationships. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said of those who lack the emotional side of intelligence. So the question is, do you want to be happy and successful, or just successful?

The human experience is an emotional experience. To deny that we are emotional beings is to deny who we are. You cannot navigate this world without a decent understanding of how to deal with your emotions, and you won’t be able to get very far academically, professionally, or romantically if you don’t know how to deal with people. We need emotional intelligence. We need to know how to regulate negative feelings, resolve conflict, read body language and other social cues, and how to interact with others diplomatically and productively. IQ helps us understand how this world functions, but it’s EQ that helps us function in this world.

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Insightfully yours,
Queen D