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What is the Difference between Emotional Intelligence and Emotional Maturity?

Emotional Intelligence and Emotional Maturity are two terms often used interchangeably which can cause confusion. Emotional Intelligence is such a hot topic now that companies often invite guest speakers to educate their employees on Emotional Intelligence. What these companies actually want is a workforce with greater Emotional Maturity, so many people who attend a presentation on Emotional Intelligence are also getting information on Emotional Maturity. For more detail on the difference between these two terms, it’s best to check the definition of each term.

You can have high Emotional Intelligence but not be mature because maturity is the appropriate application of Emotional Intelligence.

It can be said that developing Emotional Intelligence is step one and developing Emotional Maturity is step two. You can’t have Emotional Maturity without first developing Emotional Intelligence.

Emotional Intelligence (sometimes abbreviated as EI or EQ): Emotional Intelligence is the understanding of human emotions—your own and those to whom you relate. The first step to Emotional Intelligence is to understand your own emotions. Once you understand your own emotions, you can better understand the emotions of other people. Having a high level of Emotional Intelligence doesn’t necessarily mean you will have Emotional Maturity. It is necessary to have Emotional Intelligence in order to have Emotional Maturity since you need to understand emotions in order to develop Emotional Maturity.

Emotional Maturity (EM): A high level of Emotional Maturity is attained once a person has developed Emotional Intelligence as well as the minimal level of Emotional Maturity to decide to use it. Since Emotional Intelligence is the understanding of emotions, Emotional Maturity is the application of that knowledge.

One of the key aspects of Emotional Maturity is the ability to delay gratification for a more convenient or appropriate time.

It could be said that Emotional Intelligence and Emotional Maturity are like knowledge and wisdom. Those terms are also used interchangeably—but in order to have wisdom, one must first obtain knowledge.

For Executive Coaching or Workshops for your company on Emotional Intelligence, contact Inspire at 317-842-8881 today.

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