Social intelligence skills are something anyone can learn. They don’t depend on genes or biology, although some people might be more susceptible to acquiring them than others. The social intelligence theory was first developed by Psychologist Edward Thorndike all the way back in 1920.

Today we can say that social intelligence is the ability to read and properly react to social signals, monitor, understand, and manage one’s own emotions, and fit into a variety of social contexts.

When people speak about intelligence, they usually mean the “hard” type of skills: problem-solving, verbal skills, use of logic, or cracking numbers. But when it comes to the so-called “soft” skills–such as understanding social roles, reading emotions, comprehending relationships, or effective listening– we rarely see them as part of an intelligence questionnaire.

And while the hard skills are very important, it’s the soft ones that help us maintain friendships, be satisfied at work, or simply find happiness in life. Since these skills, which we also call social intelligence, are so often neglected in schools/colleges, despite a huge body of research revealing their undeniable benefits, in this quest we will be sharing with you what social intelligence is and its benefits.