Spiritual Quotient (Sq) and Its Power in Current Times
We all are aware of the much-spoken concept of IQ which has been a measurement of levels of intelligence of an individual. IQ was followed by the concept of EQ or Emotional Quotient which highlighted an individual’s ability to recognize, interpret, evaluate, and use emotions effectively in order to cope with the environment around an individual. Both the concepts of IQ and EQ have been the cornerstone in predicting an individual’s success in both personal and professional life. Zohar & Marshall,2000 initiated the concept of SQ or Spiritual Quotient. Spiritual intelligence or SQ refers to the intelligence that addresses and helps in solving problems of meaning and value and places our actions and our lives in a wider, richer, meaningful context.
Present times that are characterized by chaos and uncertainty, SQ as an ability can play a very important role in ensuring the mental sanity of an individual. It is commonly believed that human beings are inherently spiritual because they question their fundamental existence. Spiritual intelligence gives their actions a sense of worth. Spiritual intelligence has two components and in combination they help us grow (Zohar & Marshall, 2000). The first component called the vertical component refers to anything that is sacred, divine or ultimate and develops a desire within us to be guided by it. The second component is called the horizontal component and it refers to any act of service and benevolence towards other fellow beings.
These two dimensions collectively enable an individual to use compassion and wisdom in all situations of life regardless of the circumstances. It helps us to question the circumstances in which we are and realize our actions and mistakes, which have landed us there. It is the intelligence with which we not only recognize existing values but with which we creatively discover new values. The indications of a highly developed spiritual intelligence are as follows:
(a) An individual’s capacity to be flexible (actively and spontaneously adaptive);
(b) A high degree of self-awareness;
(c) A capacity to face suffering;
(d) A capacity to face and transcend pain;
(e) The quality of being inspired by vision and values;
(f). A reluctance to cause unnecessary harm;
(g) A tendency to see the connections between diverse things (being holistic);
(h) A marked tendency to ask “Why? Or what if? “Questions and to seek “fundamental “answers;
(i) Being “field independent”- possessing a facility for working against convention (Zohar & Marshall, 2000).
All the above-mentioned indicators of SQ clearly equip us to face and cope with present times. An individual’s capacity to be flexible helps in coping with the uncertainty and unpredictability of present times. The spontaneity that it builds helps prevent mental baggage to uncertainty in life. A high degree of self-awareness creates avenues of self-improvement and self-development. This quality within an individual paves the way to success, exploration, and unlocking once hidden potential. The capacity to face suffering is another important skill that increases an individual’s endurance to face what life gives instead of rattling and escaping any situation.
Psychologically capacity to face suffering and the capacity to face and transcend pain makes a person resilient to different life situations. This is immensely required in present times engulfed with natural and man-made disasters. The quality of people high on SQ to be inspired by vision and values gives stability and a code of conduct in differentiating right from wrong. This quality is very important in handling the chaos in the present world. Another much-needed quality is a reluctance to cause unnecessary harm to others. If we understand this the pain and suffering created by political conflicts, wars, terrorism, etc can be reduced drastically.
The tendency to see connections in diverse things is something necessary in having a holistic perspective of whatever is happening in our own lives and also for understanding whatever is happening in the world around us. The last two indicators are an extension of this. An individual’s tendency to question what is happening in his life and understand that one has choices to make in life is of utmost importance in today’s life. Let’s work on being spiritually intelligent along with being emotionally intelligent to cope with present times.Visit: https://www.ncuindia.edu/programme/ba-hons-psychology
Authored By
Dr Neha Jain
Program Chair, Associate Professor
Department of Psychology, NCU
Broad Areas of Research: Counterproductive work behaviours, Organizational Justice, Spiritual Intelligence, Ethical climate, Tool development.