More than likely, you have seen a person with a high level of social intelligence. You may not have realized who you were looking at. These people never find themselves in a social bind.
It’s as if they’re empaths. They can sense what people are thinking, feeling, and needing. Even when a social situation is on the downside, they manipulate it to their own advantage. They do so in a way where they don’t need to argue because they relate to people so well.
Identifying people with good social skills can be beneficial. Whether it’s for task leadership, developing friendships, dating, or building your own social intelligence, being around a person like this can enrich your life. Keep reading to find out 15 habits that will reveal a person with social intelligence.
15 Habits That Reveal Social Intelligence
1. They practice empathy often.
People are full of emotions, and a socially intelligent person knows that it’s important to validate people’s feelings. They do this well because they do it often. You’ve heard that old saying that practice makes perfect. When it comes to understanding people’s feelings and sharing those experiences, socially intelligent people are pros at this.
2. They are considerate of people’s feelings.
There is no point in being able to empathize with people if you’re not going to be considerate of their feelings. Socially intelligent people know how to be delicate with people’s feelings. They seem always to be kind and compassionate. People feel comfortable with their emotions around a socially intelligent person.
3. They pay attention to the smallest details.
People with great social skills are naturally observant. They can observe the smallest details about people that the average person wouldn’t even think about. They catch minor facial movements during conversations and minor details about clothing. Socially intelligent people are excellent at reading body language. They can read the meaning in things that most people would ignore.
4. They pay attention to their own feelings.
To understand other people’s feelings, you must first understand your own feelings. Socially intelligent people can understand their own feelings, which allows them to deal with their emotions accurately. They don’t keep their feelings bottled up inside, which can lead to a dangerous outburst. They’re able to express themselves in a healthy way, which allows them to connect with people on multiple levels.
5. They are excellent listeners.
It makes sense that a person with high social intelligence would be a great listener. After all, how can you connect with people if you don’t listen to them? They’re also great at reading between the lines. Analyzing people and conversations is a strong point for people with high social intelligence.
6. They tend to stay one step ahead of everyone.
You can rarely one-up a person with high social intelligence. Since they are so good at observing people and observing minor details, they tend to stay one step ahead of everyone else. It’s almost like they are magic – they can read your mind and anticipate your actions. Depending on how developed their observation skills are, they could probably run circles around most people before someone realizes what’s happening.
7. They are often found in positions of leadership.
Socially intelligent people are often found in leadership positions because being socially intelligent is one of the primary qualities a leader needs. On the same note, socially adept people seek out leadership positions because it allows them to reach their full potential. Leaders must be able to connect with many different types of people from all walks of life. Any good leader will have developed their social skills as close to perfection as they can get.
8. They control their emotions well.
Just like a person has social intelligence, they also have emotional intelligence. These two concepts go hand in hand – you need one to have the other. You’ll rarely find someone who is socially adept but has rampant emotions. If you find a person like this, they more than likely have psychological disorders like emotional distress.
9. They rarely get angry.
Anger usually has a negative reputation, although it’s a natural human emotion. Anger itself isn’t bad – it’s uncontrolled anger that is a problem. People who have great social skills rarely get angry, and they certainly don’t have uncontrolled anger.
Psychologist and anger expert Howard Kassinove, Ph.D., says that some people use anger to get people to listen. This isn’t something that socially adept people have a problem with – they get attention on their own already. Their excellent social skills allow them to navigate through tension easily. Therefore they do not need anger.
10. They keep up with important events like birthdays or anniversaries.
Some people seem to keep up with every holiday, birthday, anniversary, or important event like clockwork. They’ll show up with the right gift or a card with a message that seems to be professionally written. You can be sure there was no last-minute dash to find a gift with these people because they probably already had it planned out for a while.
While this may seem simple and slightly unimportant in the grand scheme of things, it’s an indicator and a habit of a person with great social skills. It’s because they know that people like to feel important. They may even do this for selfish reasons, depending on their personality type, but either way, it’s a habit that is easy for them to keep up with.
11. They have the highest respect for other cultures.
The frequency that people disrespect cultures that are different from theirs is surprising. Often, they aren’t even aware of their disrespect. This is not something that socially intelligent people have a problem with. They understand that people’s differences are what makes them strong and valuable.
In fact, socially adept people are respectful of other cultures, but they take the time to understand these cultures. They can seamlessly blend their own culture with others so that it seems that all cultures are simply different aspects of one inclusive culture.
12. They may have a lot of associates, but they have a small circle of friends.
Socially adept people can spot the good in people as well as the bad. They can get along with everyone, but they also know which people are friends, which are enemies, and which ones are in between. Having this uncanny ability to spot and sort people into these categories means that they will keep their circle of close friends small by only including the most trustworthy people in it.
This doesn’t mean that they don’t like or associate with other people. They still have respect for others and are friendly. It’s just that they keep most relationships at arm’s length unless a person deems themselves worthy of getting to the inner circle.
13. They are aware of their implicit biases.
Implicit biases affect every person and often occur because of direct and indirect exposure to media and news programming. It also occurs from exposure to messages learned from a person’s social bubble of people. These biases, which often relate to race and social class, cause unsubstantiated opinions about others.
Socially intelligent people are still human. Like everyone, they may have implicit biases. Unlike everyone, they’re usually aware of these biases and work to keep them in check. Even if they mess up, they can see and admit they made a mistake and can fix it with the person they offended.
14. They approach every situation as a chance to learn something.
People with a high level of social intelligence always look to learn something in any situation. Even if they are the expert in a certain setting, they know that working with others offers an opportunity to expand their horizons. They are open to collaborating and, because they are excellent listeners, they can absorb even the most minuscule lessons.
15. They stay out of gossip and don’t spread rumors.
When you have a diverse group of people, someone will be that person who engages in gossip. Socially adept people know how to recognize gossip and dodge it quickly and easily. They are expert at changing the subject without hurting people’s feelings.
Gossip and rumors never help anyone. People with excellent social skills know this, so they’ll never engage in this type of activity.
Final Thoughts on Habits That Reveal Social Intelligence
Some people seem to be socially intelligent naturally. However, you don’t need to be born with it. This is a skill, and like any other skill, most people can learn and develop it.
Once a person develops this skill, the habits follow. If you pay attention, these habits become obvious. You can see the way a socially adept person navigates interpersonal relationships. It’s almost like a beautiful song and dance.
Being socially intelligent is one of the most valuable skills you can possess. If you don’t have the skill, being friends, or being coworkers with someone like that is the next best thing. After all, the world keeps going because of social interactions, so it makes sense to connect with as many people as you can.
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