Scholars believe that self-awareness (SA) is either a part of emotional intelligence (EI) or EI is a part of SA.
If you consider the definition by Daniel Goleman of EI, he talks about: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management.
If you consider my definition of SA, I talk about: internal self-awareness and the two parts of social self-awarenesses; internal and external.
Goleman’s four descriptors can easily be overlaid onto my definition of SA.
- Internal SA : self-awareness and self-management
- Internal-Social SA: social awareness
- External-Social SA: relationship management
So, it depends on your view of the world as to which one you agree with. Maybe either has its place depending on the situation? Maybe one will be useful to you in one situation and the other in another?
As a liberal thinker and a pragmatist who prefers to consider the ‘best solution’ to be the right solution to any problem, the idea of being immovably on one side of a fence or another seems to risk missing the ideas, experience and gems of wisdoms from the other side.
My advice? Draw the best ideas from wherever you find them and use them as appropriate to fix your problems and solve your challenges!