The debate between emotional intelligence and academic intelligence has been ever-growing over the years. Especially with the rise of social media highlighting the advantages of being more emotionally intelligent compared to academically intelligent, more than ever, is society understanding the key differences between the two and debating on which is more beneficial? 

Emotional Intelligence (Michal):

Even though academic intelligence is always on the frontlines of the most important aspects of one’s intelligence, this doesn’t truly define how smart an individual may be. 

Grades, math proficiency, and how well you can explain biological concepts can only take you so far. Knowing how to find a derivative doesn’t mean you can understand how to control your own emotions. 

Emotional intelligence is crucial for building strong and healthy relationships built on empathy, understanding and communication. Having high levels of emotional intelligence is especially important for teenagers as well, as this is crucial to build upon strong relationships with peers and even the adults around. Being able to connect with others and practice empathy also builds leadership skills. This is crucial for the college application process in building up leadership positions to show positive traits that will be beneficial in future settings. 

Knowing how to be in tune with those around you will also be helpful when looking for a job, as having connections and knowing how to communicate with those around you will portray you more positively to others, even if your resume is lacking. 

Academic Intelligence (Jonathan):

Although emotional intelligence is really important, it only takes you so far in life. 

Academic intelligence is what matters the most when it comes to being successful. Not everyone has great emotional intelligence, but that doesn’t doom them in their life and career. They are still able to get good jobs and be successful even without building great networks and connections. It makes it harder, but it is much easier to find a job with great grades, than finding a job solely based on who you know. Not to mention, even if you have your connections, you won’t get a job with a terrible resume. 

When it comes to teenagers, the importance of academic intelligence is even higher. When applying to colleges, they only care about what they see on paper: your grades, test scores, essays and extracurriculars. In almost none of these aspects of the application does a college see your emotional intelligence. A high academic intelligence raises GPAs, raises test scores, and boosts your chances of getting into a good college.

A good way to think about it is that emotional intelligence gets you the interview, but academic intelligence gets you the job. The job is what matters.