Study Shows People with High Emotional Intelligence Feel More Stress

A study has proven that having too much emotional intelligence is actually very bad.

In September 2016’s issue of Emotion, several psychologists from Germany surveyed 166 male university students on their emotional intelligence, Scientific American reported.

One of the tests was where the researchers showed the men pictures of people’s faces and the men had to guess the people’s emotions.

Then, the men had to give a job talk in front of judges with stern expressions. The researches measured the concentration of cortisol a.k.a. the stress hormone, in the men’s saliva before and after the talk.

What the psychologists, Myriam Bechtoldt and Vanessa Schneider from the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, found was truly interesting.

Apparently, the students who were more emotionally intelligent showed an increase in stress measures and it took them longer to feel normal again.

Hillary Anger Elfenbein from Washington University explained that this obviously showed that being emotionally intelligent isn’t good for ourselves.

She said,

“Sometimes, you can be so good at something that it causes trouble.”

However, this isn’t the only study that has shown the negative side to having high EQ. Studies have shown that people with higher EQ are more susceptible to depression and feelings of hopelessness. Other than that, people with high EQ are easily manipulated by others. Much like how ‘professional beggars’ play on the sympathies of strangers to get money.

So in the end, is it really good to be caring towards others?

Also read: Chinese Netizens Expose Horrid Elderly Beggar Who Manipulates People’s Kindness