Emotional intelligence, basic talent for living

When someone has true friends, of those who are always for you, this person has a great level of emotional intelligence; On the other hand, if someone lacks close friends, it is an indicator of deficient emotional capacities, and a factor that increases the probability of facing health problems, at work and in interpersonal relationships.

The researcher of the Faculty of Psychology (FP) of the UNAM, Benjamín Domínguez Trejo, He explained that the ties of friendship they represent only one of the aspects that make up a basic talent for living: emotional intelligence.

To this, the psychologists of the UNAM they define it as the ability of the individual to execute, at least, the following actions: observe and evaluate their emotions and those of others; selectively modulate their emotions ; be able to express them in a timely manner; keep motivation high; Share your difficulties in a timely manner and be persevering in the achievement of goals.

"In recent years it has been possible to recognize the importance of the structures responsible for emotional functioning, which are activated when we are happy, worried, sad, serene or hurt," says Domínguez Trejo.

Recent studies show that a small area of ​​the brain is responsible for logical thinking, decision making and planning, while emotional skills require the participation of a greater number of brain components.

The emotions they are the engine of existence. Joy, enthusiasm or hope, as well as anger, jealousy, envy, uncertainty and pain, play vital roles, says the university psychologist.

For example, being sad or angry from time to time is useful for evaluating our behavior and making changes in life, while feeling loved and safe helps us overcome fear in the face of challenges. Unfortunately, the idea persists that emotions they are enemies of reason.

The challenge is to make them allies of reason and to achieve this it is necessary to know how to choose when we should be guided by the feelings and when to ignore or postpone them, that's part of emotional intelligence, he said.

"The problem is that we are not always aware of the feelings that invade us, or the effects they have on health, thinking and interpersonal relationships. "

Scientists have discovered that 80 percent of our daily behavior is the result of "hunches" or intuitions, and that even more reasoned actions, such as those related to money, depend to a large extent on emotional impulses.

Unlike the IQ, which can hardly be modified by the experiences, emotional intelligence can be acquired and developed with specialized advice.

Dr. Domínguez and his collaborators have developed computerized systems and low-cost devices that register physiological changes that help to recognize the emotional state of a patient and establish strategies to regulate it.

"We designed a device called Stress Point, equipped with a sensor that, upon contact with the thumb, measures the temperature changes that occur in states of tension and relaxation ".

Currently, researchers from the UNAM They are looking for funding to conclude the creation of a technology that registers proteins of saliva, which will identify in a matter of seconds, if someone requires psychological attention after experiencing dramatic experiences.

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Video Medicine: What is Emotional Intelligence? (March 2024).