How Self-Aware are You? 

The American philosopher William James once said that, whenever two people meet, there are really six people present: there is each person as they see themself, each as the other person sees them and each as they really are. For this reason, becoming more self-aware is a vital life skill to develop.

For centuries, IQ (Intelligence Quotient) was deemed to be the marker for intelligence, despite people like the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, being interested in emotional skilfulness. Only in 1995 did EQ (Emotional Quotient) begin to be popularised due to the influence of Daniel Goleman. EQ measures a person’s ability to recognize and respond to their own emotions and those of others. Ever since Goleman’s ground-breaking work, EQ has been viewed as an equally important form of intelligence. Indeed, many people see it as the most important.

One final ingredient to add to the mix is SQ (Social Quotient), the ability to read environments, cope with change and relate effectively to others. SQ was first defined by the American psychologist, Edward Thorndike, in 1920 and is essentially inter-personal intelligence.

When Smart is Stupid

The American psychologist Howard Gardner published an influential book in 1983 called Frames of Mind. He differentiated between intra-personal intelligences (understanding self = self-awareness) and inter-personal intelligences (understanding others = empathy).

All three quotients are vital to understanding human personality. If we were to map IQ, EQ and SQ onto Gardner’s understanding, it would look something like this:

If we only focus on IQ, we can end up being smart but stupid! EQ and SQ add relational value to raw intellect and are therefore vital life-skills. IQ and EQ/SQ are not opposing competencies; they work simultaneously. EQ/SQ are vital in order to apply IQ effectively.

Behavioural Profiling

Life/Redefined have partnered with C-me Colour Profiling to provide an effective tool for helping you grow in self-awareness. This will help you to better understand yourself, reflecting on your strengths and the value you bring to a team, whilst also appreciating the contribution of others.