One of the most important forms of intelligence to me is social intelligence. People are academically intelligent, street-wise intelligent, but something that I’m beginning to see less and less of is people who are socially intelligent. This entails good manners, good speaking skills, being polite and civil, things like that.
I think social intelligence is a learned behavior, that’s why many people don’t have it. People who are uneducated, foreign, have never had a job, people like that and I’m not saying at all that they’re stupid, I’m just saying that fitting into our society might be more of a challenge for them than for most people.
I know someone very close to me who is the perfect example of this. He’s lived here for quite some times, but since he’s been on permanent disability for a long time now, he doesn’t work. He is incredibly awkward in social situations, doesn’t know what to say when door-to-door salespeople come to our house, hangs up on telemarketers before they even finish what they’re trying to say, and doesn’t like socializing that much. He’s such a great person, but it makes me sad to see the way he is when we go to parties, or social events. The problem is is that people don’t realize how important it is to be able to carry a conversation with people and be polite. It’s not just so people will like you, it’s to help you with job interviews, if you’re trying to sell something, if you’re trying to make a point in an argument, if you want to sound like an overall intelligent person.
My sister is probably the most socially intelligent person I know. She knows everything about everything and can talk about anything. She knows how to say “no thanks, we don’t want any” to a door-seller, she doesn’t just slam the door in their face. She doesn’t argue with a cashier if they won’t give her 50% for a missing button. But a lot of people I know DO in fact act like that. What I’m trying to say is that being socially smart is a lot more important than people realize.
It’s a matter of class and when you have class, people take you seriously and want to talk to you. They don’t make fun of you or get annoyed when they have to deal with you. They’re impressed by you and by being socially intelligent, you become a good leader because you know how to act in certain situations and people are so interested in what you have to say that they want to be like you. I saw this video and thought it was interesting. It’ll give you a clearer understanding of what I’m trying to say.
