Emotional Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence Test -
How emotionally intelligent are you?

To quiz your emotional competence and comfort with emotions, take this emotional intelligence test quickly--no thinking allowed. Fill in the following statements with never, rarely, sometimes, frequently, or always. Answer as rapidly as possible; don't pause to flex your intellectual muscle!

1. Feeling left out or ignored (never, rarely, sometimes, frequently, always) troubles me.

2. When I have done something I'm ashamed of, I (never, rarely, sometimes, frequently, always) can admit it.

3. It (never, rarely, sometimes, frequently, always) upsets me when a stranger is less than friendly to me.

4. I (never, rarely, sometimes, frequently, always) laugh at my vulnerabilities.

5. I (never, rarely, sometimes, frequently, always) beat myself up for making mistakes.

6. I (never, rarely, sometimes, frequently, always) can recognize my imperfections without feeling guilty.

7. When someone gets angry at me, it (never, rarely, sometimes, frequently, always) spoils my day.

8. I (never, rarely, sometimes, frequently, always) experience a full range of feeling every day, including sadness, anger, and fear.

9. My intense emotions (never, rarely, sometimes, frequently, always) cause me to feel out of control.

10. I (never, rarely, sometimes, frequently, always) agonize over decisions or put off decision making.

11. Other people's intense emotions (never, rarely, sometimes, frequently, always) cause me to feel out of control.

How did you do? To oversimplify, if your EQ is nearing its full potential, you probably answered "never" or "rarely" to the odd-numbered questions and "always" or "frequently" to the even-numbered questions. But before you start to picture yourself smugly handing this book back to the well-meaning friend who gave it to you, please bear with me for just a few more questions:

Did you take the test quickly?
If you agonized over your answers (and the possible implications for your own deficient character) or tried to "psych out" the test by answering the way you think you should, your intellect is firmly in control, your emotional muscle pretty flabby. (Yes, Henry, the accountant, finished quickly, but only thanks to incredible mental speed. And, yes, after reading the preceding paragraph, he handed the book back to his wife, who had bought it for him.)

Do you think the test is stupid?
The urge to disown our (possibly incriminating) feelings can be so strong that your first and lasting reaction may have been scorn for the oversimplification of this modest little quiz. You're not ready to suspend disbelief and just see what your emotions can tell you. (Lucy got so involved in an imaginary confrontation in which I was shamed into admitting that I had set up this quiz just to make her look stupid that she never even got to question 3.)

Did you go back and change any of your answers?
Rod started out answering "never" to the odd-numbered questions and "always" to the others. Then he got up from his desk, got a cup of coffee, returned, and erased his answers, replacing all of his nevers with either "rarely" or "sometimes." After "proofreading" his test once more, he agitatedly scratched out his answers, replaced all of them with "sometimes," then tore the page out of this book, crumpled it up, and stomped out of his office.

Obviously you're not alone if the quiz showed your intellect is in control. I'll explain why we're all in that boat in Chapter 2. But even if you think you aced this little quiz, your answers may not have come from the heart, despite your intentions. What's more important for now is how you felt about taking the test and how you feel now. Even unpleasant discoveries you've made, like how much pressure you place on yourself for silly reasons, are opportunities for emotional growth. Grab whatever chances you get. You're in the door and on your way to higher emotional learning!

Emotions and Emotional Intelligence:

Emotions Shape Our Lives and Link Us to Emotional Intelligence Describes how emotion and its expression influence every aspect of our lives.

Good Leaders Use Emotional Intelligence is from an article written for a professional health journal that applies to all workplaces.

Emotional Intelligence Quiz This quiz gives you an indication of your comfort level with emotionally charged situations where emotional intelligence is called for.

Return to home page for Emotional Intelligence