When it’s all said and done, I think you’ll only know if someone if emotionally intelligent only when he’s hurt himself and how he chooses to deal with that pain. Do you know the amount of self control you need to have not to hurt back someone who shook you to the core? To try and understand why they behaved the way they did, and to put healthy boundaries without crossing other peoples’ limits.

• Emotionally intelligent people pause. They’ve mastered the art of refraining themselves, taking a deep breath and not making permanent decisions based on temporary emotions.
• Emotionally intelligent people think about their feelings. As they pause, they ask themselves questions “Why am I feeling this way?” or “Why do I feel triggered?”. The answer sometimes doesn’t come straight as, but it’s always about what the journey teaches you. Why rush?
• Emotionally intelligent people control their thoughts and actions. After pausing and asking questions, they control what they think in the between. You cannot control how something makes you feel, but you can certainly control how it affects your day/life.
• Emotionally intelligent people apologize. You’ll be surprised how many people would rather stop talking to you than apologize. It’s scary how people hold onto to ego foolishly. It takes strength and courage to apologize.
• Emotionally intelligent people protect their boundaries. Most of these people are empaths. Meaning you see things from someone else’s eyes, connecting with them deeper. It doesn’t mean you’ll agree with them, it just means you genuinely try to understand. But, if you don’t set enough boundaries, a lot of people will suck the life out of you by trying to heal themselves. Most cases you can see right through their hidden agendas, but that’s why you gotta sharpen you’re intelligent.