What does it mean to be Socially Intelligent?

[Cynic]

What is social intelligence? What qualities does a socially intelligent person have?

 

[credance]

Ability to b/s with the best of them.

 

[Sunstone]

A practical understanding of how to motivate people, for one thing.

 

[Sunstone]

A practical understanding of how to motivate people, for one thing.

Better yet, an ability to predict what people will do in a given set of circumstances.

 

[Ciscokid]

What is social intelligence? What qualities does a socially intelligent person have?

Would that be the same as street smart. How to deal with many personality types and use charisma to steer events in the direction you want them to go.

 

[Cynic]

Would that be the same as street smart. How to deal with many personality types and use charisma to steer events in the direction you want them to go.

I've been reading Social Intelligence, by psychologist Danial Goleman.
Here is his Definition:

Social Awareness

Social awareness refers to a spectrum that runs from instantaneously sensing another's inner state, to understanding her feelings and thoughts, to "getting" complicated social situations. It includes:

• Primal Empathy: feeling with others; sensing nonverbal emotional signals.
• Attunement: Listening with full receptivity; attuning to a person.
• Empathic accuracy: Understanding another person's thoughts, feelings, and intentions.
• Social cognition: Knowing how the social world works.

Social Facility

Simply sensing how another feels, or knowing what they think or intend, does not guarantee fruitful interactions. Social facility builds on social awareness to allow smooth, effective interactions. The spectrum of social facility includes:

• Synchrony: Interacting smoothly at the nonverbal level.
• Self-presentation: Presenting ourselves effectively.
• Influence: Shaping the outcome of social interactions.
• Concern: Caring about other's needs and acting accordingly.

It's basically broken down into knowing how to read/feel people, being very attentive to others, and knowing how to respond. Empathy is key to social intelligence. Empathy requires a certain level of emotional intelligence—the ability to hold back our own wants and needs—and appeal to the wants and needs of others. It is to be attentive to another person’s feelings, make it our own, and act in accordance. Self-absorption does not allow empathy or receptivity. Ever notice when certain people talk, it's as though they are talking at you, not with you.

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[Somkid]

Knowing when to keep your mouth shut so you don't make an *** of yourself.

 

[Francine]

Better yet, an ability to predict what people will do in a given set of circumstances.

For Isaac Asimov's novels about the decline and fall of the Galactic Empire he invented a science which was unable to predict the actions of a single individual, but was quite adept at predicting the actions of quadrillions of people, treated statistically. Social intelligence, then, is a crude form of Psychohistory.

 

[Ozzie]

For Isaac Asimov's novels about the decline and fall of the Galactic Empire he invented a science which was unable to predict the actions of a single individual, but was quite adept at predicting the actions of quadrillions of people, treated statistically. Social intelligence, then, is a crude form of Psychohistory.

If there was a drug that eliminates uncertainty, would you take it?

 

[Francine]

If there was a drug that eliminates uncertainty, would you take it?

There is, it's called Plan B, but I'll never need to take it because my "lifestyle choice" (only breeders have "lives") means I need to take extraordinary methods just to get pregnant.

 

[michel]

What is social intelligence? What qualities does a socially intelligent person have?

Inteligence in itself - correct me if I am wrong - is the ability to deal with input in the most productive and quick manner.

I would therefore have thought that social inteligence needs the prerequisites on knowing (either instinctively or by learning) what "is best" for society, whilst being in a position to do something about it.

I think the last such person I heard of went by the name of "Jesus Christ"