What Is Emotional Competence?

Emotional competence is described as the ability of a person to express their own emotions freely. However, this term is quite close to emotional intelligence. The difference between the two is that the latter is a kind of core of the skill set for reasoning with emotions. For its part, emotional competence refers to the achievement of a certain level of emotional achievement.

This competition can be learned and trained. And it determines the ability of a person to interact constructively with others. In addition, it is based on self-awareness, as it is based on the recognition of individual emotions and how they affect other people and on the ability to maintain emotional control and handling.

We must bear in mind that, for this, we must be able to understand our own emotions, before being able to value those of others. 

Social competence, necessary for success in relationships

One dimension of emotional competence is social competence. According to studies, this refers to the fulfillment of the demands of the context. That is, the ability to respond in line with what others feel.

Social skills are very important in a work environment. Similarly, to be successful in relationships, it is important to know how to communicate effectively and how to manage conflicts.

Through emotional competence, human beings have the ability to act in accordance with our own emotions and those experienced by other people.

The recognition of personal emotions opens the possibility of responding appropriately to those that other people experience. Without first knowing your own, it is difficult to identify others, and even help or feel empathy for other people.

However, this is something that we are not used to doing, so it costs us a lot.   In fact, learning to know our own emotions is something that is not usually paid much attention at an early age. Consequently, these adults may lack that knowledge of their affective identity as they grow older.

Health problems related to emotional competence

Many experts believe that the lack of emotional competence causes different difficulties, which can lead to a repression of emotions. Thus, not expressing them can lead to a long-term deterioration of the physical and mental health of the person. They also increase stress levels, which can cause hypertension, rapid weight gain or loss, or fatigue, so learning to self-regulate them can be effective.

Poor relationships with other people can cause suffering, due to the emotional incompetence perceived by the affected person. Which, in the end, generates great dissatisfaction and even frustration due to the lack of emotional exchange that it entails.

Although there are many difficulties that can hinder the development of emotional competence, emotional intelligence plays an important role in a person’s ability to learn it.

For those who suffer from mental illnesses or problems that interfere with their skills, it is important, as a first step, to help them develop their emotional intelligence. When a person is able to discriminate some emotions from others, he can begin to learn how to apply these emotions to daily life.

If you repress your emotions or have serious difficulties to be able to handle, identify and express them, you should know that this has a solution. Go to your trusted therapist to accompany you on this journey.

Emotional competence is learned, although patience will be necessary, as what is learned may not have an immediate effect. Be patient, because it will most likely be rather progressive. Do not harm your health out of fear or fear of facing what can be learned. No one is born knowing everything.

Intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligence

According to Howard Gardner, there is not just one intelligence, but several. Among them we find intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligence.

• The intrapersonal refers to the emotional knowledge of oneself. That is, the ability to control our emotions, regulate and internalize them.
• The interpersonal would be the intelligence directed towards others, that is, oriented to recognize other people’s emotions and feelings. The empathy enter into it.

According to Gardner, intelligences are not static, but can be developed. Each of us is born with each of these intelligences, however, we are usually able to develop one or more of them. Emotional competence would reside in both types of intelligence.

Thus, our emotional competence can be improved. And one of the benefits of developing it is the possible substantial improvement that we can perceive in our relationship with ourselves and with others.