Listening and emotional intelligence

With the world moving at a mercurially rapid pace, this era of evolution of mankind is becoming extremely complex. While technology has provided ease of operation; digitization and social media have whipped up emotions that are unmatched in their intensity and volatility. The web and the social media have taken complete control of our lives, shrinking the world into one large ecosystem where we live in a state of ‘constant feeling’, making instant gratification a way of life and a surge in emotions is just a swipe or a click/touch away.

It is becoming increasingly indispensable for people to acknowledge, comprehend and react appropriately, and become emotionally intelligent towards themselves and others. Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the new IQ.

A gasp of breath, shift in eye focus, slight hesitation, pauses and distraction are all subtle ways in which people express their real story. Choice of words, difference in what is explained in detail and what is cut short, pace of speech are all subtle indications that only a mindful listener can grasp, understand and decode to get to the underlying crux of a situation.

Mindful listening, as Dale Carnegie says, is a skill that can be mastered only with practice and conscious application, where a listener whole-heartedly commits himself to the discussion at hand.