If you are familiar with the concept of emotional intelligence, the ability to identify, understand, and manage emotions, you may have seen it abbreviated in two different ways: EI and EQ.
Which begs the question, which one is right?
To find the answer, we need to look at the history of emotional intelligence. The concept became famous in 1995 when Daniel Goleman originally published his book Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Mean More Than IQ.
That same year, TIME magazine wrote a headline on its front page in large, bold letters:
However, Goleman himself has stated that he, along with most scientists, prefers the acronym “EI”.
So which one should you use?
The answer is simple: you should be using EQ.
Look, the concept behind emotional intelligence is nothing new. It’s been around for centuries. And the scientific community began exploring emotional intelligence in the 1960s.
But it wasn’t until Goleman’s breakthrough in 1995, along with the cover story of TIME magazine, that emotional intelligence really penetrated the masses.
An important reason for this was the simple but brilliant new abbreviation: EQ.
Think about it: isn’t the EQ rolling off the tongue a lot easier than the EI? It immediately and simply communicates the idea behind it.
When we see someone who is smart, we describe them as high-IQ.
When we see someone who understands strategy very well, we describe them as having a high IQ in their area of expertise: a high basketball or soccer IQ, or a high chess IQ.
When we see someone who can understand emotions and how they work, and who is good at managing relationships, we describe them as a high EQ.
Over the years, the term EQ has become more popular and recognizable in several languages. In fact, the abbreviation itself could be said to be an example of emotional intelligence in action. It’s simple, memorable, emotionally powerful.
My own work is evidence of that. Two years ago I wrote EQ Applied: The Real-World Guide to Emotional Intelligence. During this time, the book has been translated into 15 languages, some with the standard abbreviation EQ.
When most people around the world think of Emotional Intelligence, they think about improving their EQ. So, if you’re still using EI, drop it and join the program.
Like it or not, EQ is here to stay.
The opinions expressed by Inc.com columnists here are their own, not those of Inc.com.
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