Okay, let's do a little thought experiment here. Close your eyes and picture the last big family reunion you went to - tons of faces, everyone crowding around, playing catch up. And then there's that chatty aunt who just floats around from one conversation to the next, instantly bonding with whoever she talks to, before breezing on her merry way again.

You can't help but be impressed by her social finesse, right? Makes you wonder - what is going on inside her head as she works the room so effortlessly? How's she able to size people up and make connections on the spot like that? Enviable social grace! This talent goes by many names - social smarts, emotional IQ, and interpersonal intuition. However, psychologist and prolific author Daniel Goleman uses the term Social Intelligence. Social intelligence is the ability to understand one's own and others' actions. It is the ability to accurately detect emotions, understand implicit social dynamics, and respond to others with due regard to context which in turn helps build good personal, professional, and social connections.

Social intelligence is a whole different branch of intelligence, with its own set of concepts and all. For one, it’s not quantifiable in terms of IQ (intelligence quotient). We all know some high-IQ individuals who might be socially awkward, failing to carry even a simple conversation in a social setting. So, scoring well on IQ tests and other measures of book smarts has zero correlation with the ability to make friends, influence people, or handle workplace dynamics. And conversely, we all can name that social butterfly from high school who was no valedictorian but somehow has a huge circle of adoring friends and lands every promotion. The point is that we've got countless examples all around proving that healthy relationships so often flow from the intelligence of social grace (and not those aces). 

And that, people, is why scientists are now hustling to catch up on studying social intelligence! So hey, stick around here to uncover more about why this sneaky talent proves so vital out in the real world.

Daniel Goleman is a psychologist and author who has written more than 300 books. He ranks among the top 10 influential business thinkers (The Wall Street Journal). His book Emotional Intelligence (1995) was a best seller in The New York Times for more than a year. 

Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships (2006) combines neurobiology with psychology and explores how high social intelligence leads to happier people and healthier relationships. As Goleman explores, humans are wired to connect with and show empathy to one another. People with high social intelligence especially exhibit an ability to deeply comprehend others' perspectives and respond with care. Let’s dig deeper into that.

We are quintessential social beings who require a balanced degree of social intelligence to navigate successfully in our complex society, with its even more complex relationships. The book Social Intelligence by Daniel Goleman specifically explores the neurochemical aspects of social psychology. Tracing the evolutionary journey of our social intelligence and the part played by our neural wirings, the author shows how socially intelligent people are able to forge stronger bonds with each other and make lives a tiny bit easier!