Emotional Quotient

An emotional quotient is a number that defines how well you deal with your emotions. It is a number similar to IQ and if my IQ matched my EQ then I think I would be mentally retarded.

Emotions aren't easily explained and they are often as intoxicating as line of cocaine or a bottle of tequila. Being an overly emotional person can make your life dysfunctional, so dysfunctional that one day you could wake up without any friends, divorced, homeless, suicidal or even in prison. I don't have any statistical data to back up my claims, I only have personal experience.

In an emotional rage I have murdered friendships, killed careers, and endangered lives. I'm hyper-sensitive. I hurt easily and my hurt, like a lot of hurt, turns quickly into anger. That anger then turns into aggression or passiveness and either of them will most likely have a very negative outcome.

Relationships normally cause me to be highly emotional. I think relationships are like checking accounts and you can only take out what you put in. I tend to over invest in some people and then later when I don't receive a nice return on my invetment, I pull those funds quickly and look for other places to invest. Unfortunately, this can leave you bankrupt in the friend department and so it is best to always invest wisely.

Over the years my EQ has increased considerably. I am no longer a blubbering idiot when I watch Steel Magnolias or Bambi. I don't run people off the highway in a rage and I don't quit my jobs on a whim. But that don't mean that I don't have to work at it all the time.

So let me ask you, how high is your EQ?