What is Interpersonal Intelligence? Definition, Examples and How to Develop

Have you ever wondered how some people are very good at making friends? They handle social situations smoothly, and tend to be always in good terms with anyone they interact with. These people are those who have high interpersonal intelligence.

This type of intelligence makes people friendly and allows them to socially connect with everyone without having to put much effort. If you’re wondering what interpersonal intelligence is, you’re at the right place.

In this guide, I am going to describe interpersonal intelligence along with its types examples and ways through which you can develop it.

What is Interpersonal Intelligence?

Interpersonal intelligence is the ability to understand and interact effectively with others. It involves sensitivity to other people’s moods, temperaments, motivations, and feelings, as well as strong communication and social skills. This term was coined by psychologist Howard Gardner in 1983.

People possessing this mental ability tend to have good relationships with everyone. They make more friends and bring positive energy to gatherings.

8 Types Of Intelligence:

Gardner explained, in his book, the 8 types of intelligence. I’ve listed them below:

• Musical Intelligence: Ability to understand rhythms and tone.
• Linguistic Intelligence: Skills in using words and languages clearly.
• Logical Intelligence: Ability to reason and solve problems.
• Interpersonal Intelligence: The ability to understand and interact with others.
• Kinesthetic Intelligence: The ability to use body motions effectively.
• Intrapersonal Intelligence: Ability to understand yourself.
• Naturalistic Intelligence: Knowledge about plants and nature.
• Visual Intelligence: The skill of visualizing and becoming aware of the surroundings.

Howard Gardner’s Example of Interpersonal Intelligence

Howard explained interpersonal intelligence by using a very interesting example of Anne Sullivan in his book “Multiple Intelligences: New Horizons in Theory and Practice”. Anne Sullivan is known as a blind teacher who taught Helen Keller.

Helen was a 7-year-old blind and deaf child when Anne started teaching her. Despite being blind herself, Anne taught Helen in a very effective way. With her interpersonal intelligence, Anne was able to identify Helen’s special needs, moods, temperament, and even motivations.

This understanding helped Anne teach Helen in an effective and successful way. Later on, Anne’s interpersonal intelligence (along with other factors, of course) helped her become one of the well-known authors.

Benefits of Interpersonal Intelligence

This intelligence comes with many benefits. It helps people understand the true intentions and situations of others and then deal with them accordingly. Some of the main benefits of this mental ability are discussed below:

1. Strong Relationships:

Usually with their friends, family, and coworkers, people possessing interpersonal intelligence have strong relationships. They can comprehend people’s situations and listen attentively.

As a result, people usually rely on them whenever they have to share something personal. As a result, a strong bond is created, which nurtures trust and empathy over time.

2. Effective Communication:

People with this mental ability can communicate effectively. Effective communication usually occurs when you listen to other people properly and then respond according to their mindset and situation.

This ability allows people to perform both of these things and have very healthy and effective communication.

3. Dealing With Conflicts:

People face conflicts in their daily lives all the time. Interpersonal intelligence helps deal with them properly.

The best way to resolve a conflict is to understand each party’s opinions and issues, and then come up with a proper solution. This is exactly where interpersonal intelligence proves most valuable.

4. Adapting With The Situations:

Social settings are weird. They can change in a matter of seconds. This cognitive capacity guarantees a person remains cool and reacts appropriately to the changes in the situation. It helps with adapting to the social situation, no matter how confusing or awkward it is.

5. Positive Vibes:

A person who has interpersonal intelligence tends to give positive vibes. Everyone feels safe around him and feels no fear when it comes to sharing with thoughts. People understand that the person will always respond properly and won’t make things judgmental.

How to Develop Interpersonal Intelligence?

One good thing about interpersonal intelligence is that it can be developed. You can follow these points in order to do that:

1. Practice Active Listening:

Practicing active listening is one of the best ways to develop interpersonal intelligence. Active listening is all about being present while someone is talking to you. The presence should be both physical and psychological.

Simply said, it’s about truly hearing what the other person is saying and responding with your body language. Active listening improves understanding of other people’s moods. It helps with interacting with them appropriately.

2. Stay Curious About People:

Another area you should give attention to is maintaining curiosity about people. Curiosity drives you to learn more about the people around you. It encourages you to find out what your coworkers, friends, and family members are experiencing.

Dealing with people according to their emotionality becomes considerably simpler once you realize their situations.

3. Reflect on Your Interaction:

Reflecting often on your interaction with people can be very helpful in developing interpersonal intelligence. Our interactions with others aren’t always ideal.

Sometimes, we may end up behaving awkwardly or saying something offensive. Reflecting on interactions later on helps identify these dull reactions. As a result, it becomes easier to fix these issues and interact with people properly in the future.

4. Be Open To Feedback:

Another important thing that you can do to develop this type is to be open to feedback. Encourage friends and family members to give feedback on how you interact with them on a daily basis.

Sometimes, we make mistakes and don’t interact with others properly without even knowing. Receiving feedback will help you become more aware of these blind spots. So, be open to feedback so that you can fix the way you interact with others.

5. Keep On Learning:

Improving intelligence is an ongoing process. You’re not going to master it all by reading one blog post. So, make sure to keep on learning. Read books and listen to podcasts in order to broaden the horizon of your knowledge.

Learn how the great leaders of the world have developed and used interpersonal intelligence effectively. Keep on doing this for long enough, and you’ll start noticing a great shift in your mindset.

Final Verdicts

Interpersonal intelligence is one of the most useful and effective types of intelligence. It allows people to interact with each other in a better way and adapt to social situations easily.

People having this intelligence make more friends and are able to keep their relationships with others healthy.

Interpersonal intelligence can be developed and improved as well. Make sure to follow the discussed points in order to improve this intelligence type so that you can deal with other people in an appropriate and friendly way as well.

People Also Ask

1. What is the definition interpersonal intelligence?

Interpersonal intelligence is the ability to understand people’s emotions and intentions in order to interact with them properly.

2. What is an example of intrapersonal intelligence?

Several examples can clarify this intelligence more clearly. A person who actively listens to others and then thinks before answering suitably is one of the finest examples.

3. What is the rarest form of intelligence?

Interpersonal intelligence is considered to be one of the rarest forms of intelligence.

4. Why is interpersonal intelligence rare?

This intelligence is rare since it requires a high level of empathy, social awareness, and communication skills.