What is emotional intelligence?

Emotional intelligence refers to the ability to recognize, understand, and manage your own emotions, as well as the emotions of others. This skill enables individuals to navigate social complexities and make personal decisions that achieve positive results. By recognizing one's own emotions, a person can respond to situations more thoughtfully and interact effectively with others.

The focus on self-awareness is crucial in emotional intelligence because it forms the foundation for the ability to empathize with others and build stronger interpersonal relationships. Being aware of one's emotional state can lead to better emotional regulation and conflict management.

The other options reflect different skills or concepts that do not fully encapsulate the essence of emotional intelligence. Assessing risks and making decisions relates more to cognitive intelligence and logical reasoning. Manipulating others’ feelings is an unethical approach that misrepresents the intention behind emotional intelligence, which should be about understanding and facilitating positive interactions. Lastly, a cognitive understanding of economic concepts is unrelated to emotional competencies, as it pertains more to analytical thinking rather than emotional awareness and management.