IQ, EQ & SQ

For long, the world gave much importance to Intelligence Quotient. In mid-1990s, findings in neuroscience and psychology stressed the importance of Emotional Quotient (EQ). In 2000, however, a new dimension to human intelligence was introduced, i.e. Spiritual Quotient (or SQ). Spiritual intelligence is the ultimate intelligence. This is the intelligence used to solve problems of meaning and value. "Is my job giving me the fulfillment I seek?" "Am I relating to the people in my life in a way that contributes to their happiness and mine?" Answers to these questions determine whether we will find happiness or not. IQ and EQ are inadequate in such issues.

On a spiritual note, EQ involves freeing ourselves from our own emotional baggage and the conditioning of our early life and the expectations of others. Such shedding of 'stuff' is a prerequisite of any spiritual journey. Because then only we become aware of ourselves, and 'why' of the feelings and needs of others. Also, it helps realizing those values which we had heard about—like acceptance and unconditional love.
Spiritual Intelligence is about compassion and creativity, self-awareness and self-esteem, flexibility and gratitude. Thus what were once espoused by the great philosophers of the likes of Swami Vivekananda are once again being exhorted by the modern day corporate world.
SQ is about the growth of a human being. It is about moving on in life. About having a direction in life and being able to heal ourselves of all the resentment we carry. It is thinking of ourselves as an expression of a higher reality. It is also about how we look at the resources available to us. We realize that nature is not meant to be exploited. Ultimately, we discover freedom from our sense of limitation as human beings and attain "moksha".
SQ is about pondering over life's purpose. Just being in touch with that question is fulfilling. As we move along the path, deeper levels of self get unfolded, leading to fulfillment. Humans are essentially spiritual beings, evolved to ask fundamental questions. "Who am I?" "Where am I going?" "What do others mean to me?" It is an ability to answer questions like these that lead people to personal growth workshops.
Spiritual intelligence also addresses the need to place one's life in a shared context of value. The transformative power of SQ distinguishes it from IQ and EQ. IQ primarily solves logical problems. EQ allows us to judge the situation we are in and behave appropriately. SQ allows us to ask if we want to be in that situation in the first place. It might motivate us to create a new one.
SQ has little connection to formal religion. Atheists and humanists may have high SQ while someone actively religious may not. It’s more concerned about the humanist point of view. Of course, this is culture specific, with Westerners responding to ideas of 'God' and Buddhists and Hindus responding to certain symbols.
The awakening of our spiritual intelligence may be a time of great joy and meaning and may pave a way for personal growth and a feeling of being in control. We use spiritual intelligence to transform ourselves and others, heal relationship, cope with grief, and move beyond conditioned habits of the past. To develop high SQ, each person needs to approach the task according to his/her personality.
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