Interpersonal Skills

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Recent studies have shown that people with extensive support networks are generally happier and tend to enjoy longer, healthier lives than those without such networks. Forging relationships and getting along with other people depend on three competencies that form the basis for the second category, interpersonal skills:

  1. Empathy. Making an effort to understand another person’s situation or point of view.
  2. Social responsibility. Establishing a personal link with a group or community and cooperating with other members in working toward shared goals.
  3. Interpersonal relationships. Seeking out healthy and mutually beneficial relationships—such as friendships, professional networks, family connections, mentoring, and romantic partnerships—and making a persistent effort to maintain them.
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Help Yourself Do you depend on other people to raise your own level of self-esteem? It is easy to allow comments from others to affect how we feel about ourselves. If you have a strong level of emotional intelligence, you will be less vulnerable to insults or empty flattery.