EQ vs IQ

Just finished a book I picked out from my office among the pile of junk my company guys manage to compound on a daily basis, "Emotional Intelligence". Yes, its abit overdue for me to carve up this topic, but what the heck, I just picked up reading few years ago.

A really eye-opener as the secrets of EQ are revealed to me. I thought EQ was something which have to be cultivated since birth and not really relavant to our genetic inheritance or biological statue.

Well, I was right and wrong. Right in the sense EQ can be trained, individuals can be more sensitive to emotional cues, knowing when to act and what to act, all the behaviors and reactions can be inculcated into habits which will be practiced upon instinctively when the time calls for.
Wrong, because theres a gland, "Amygdala", which is able to trigger emotional responses before our concious minds fully understood what is happening.

So whats the big difference and how IQ n EQ influence our lives? Intellect, understanding and solving problems, piecing up events to form a clear overview, memory power, etc. Mostly deem as how smart a person is, how well he or she can memorise, solve problems in academically. EQ ? Able to read ppl's feelings, understanding the situation then putting the best solution, more of a soft skill. If you want me to pen down, IQ is rather static whereas EQ dynamic and could be picked up along the way.

So today I went to the polyclinic for a check-up and i manage to strike up a conversation with the rececptionist (fyi receptionist is an old aunty with 2 kids)

receptionist:"Oh, you are with the SAF ah, so 6 years later come out liao lor"

me:"Yes, I am serving as a civil servant. You seem to know alot abt the military operations?"

receptionist:"Yar, my son is inside serving his NS. Stuck for 2 years, waste his time there lor"

me:"I see, with the unique circumstances of SG, everyone has to contribute to the defence and security of our nation, otherwise we wont be able to sustian what we have now"

receptionist:"My younger son also going in a few years time, go in there waste time, cannot go uni"

me:"This is my number right? thanks"

Its quite senseless for me to explain to her the overview which I dont think she understands much of it. Was what I say government propaganda? Have I been brainwashed by my environment? If not for my friends and loved ones always guiding me along, i am certain the aunty would have ended up at the other end of the cooridoor after her remarks. "Waste time", without batting an eyeliud, she branded NS as waste time, which of course I admit at times it really is, but did she ever considered I am part of the SAF. Thus, branding NS waste time, she indirectly say I am wasting my time on my career? Yes, maybe some or majority out there thinks it is time wasting and I cant stop everyone from stating facts or fiction.

Did she consider other ppl's feelings when putting the sentence across me? Its just something to reference upon, I am certain many a times, we are faced with insenstive or un-intentional comments or remarks. Just have to see things from another perspective and not take things too personal. Can that be EQ? I dun know, but I was definitly pissed when she said that. My advise to the crowd, when critisizing or making comments, be ascertain that your target audience will not be offended or affected.

patrick