An interpersonal relationship involves a reciprocal interaction between two or more people.
The adjective interpersonal refers to that which is established or carried out between at least two people . The term is used to elaborate different concepts and expressions.
An interpersonal relationship is the reciprocal interaction between two or more individuals. These links are subject to the institutions, laws and customs that govern society.
Communication is the key to interpersonal relationships. Through a communicative process, human beings share information by exchanging messages, which each subject must decode to understand them. Interpersonal relationships imply that participants are in communication with each other.
Gardner's theory
The American psychologist and researcher Howard Gardner , on the other hand, postulated the theory of multiple intelligences , which maintains that intelligence is made up of different specific abilities. Among these various classes, interpersonal intelligence appears.
According to Gardner , interpersonal intelligence is given by the ability to discover and interpret the desires and intentions of others . It is, therefore, a skill linked to empathy .
Through their interpersonal intelligence, human beings choose their friends and partners, for example. The level of interpersonal intelligence is also decisive when it comes to establishing interpersonal relationships and, as a consequence, achieving success in any social field (academic, work, etc.).
Interpersonal intelligence is associated with the ability to understand the intentions and desires of other individuals.
Interpersonal Intelligence vs. intrapersonal intelligence
It is important not to confuse interpersonal intelligence with intrapersonal intelligence , associated with self-knowledge. Intrapersonal intelligence allows an individual to appreciate what they are like and what they want, while interpersonal intelligence serves to "read" others.
Precisely, the minimum number of participants in the type of relationships in which interpersonal intelligence acts is two . Empathy and the ability to manage relationships with others are the two most determining aspects, although not all of us are prepared to respect them adequately.
The importance of empathy
Empathy is the ability of a living being to detect, understand and share those things that others around them feel, to care about their suffering and to be happy about their successes. It is important to note that this is not a phenomenon limited to beings of the same species, nor something that only humans can experience: there are hundreds of documented examples of animals demonstrating empathy for other living beings.
How to carry out an interpersonal relationship without empathy? Well, it is not possible unless expectations are minimal and neither party becomes frustrated by the lack of feelings. Interpersonal intelligence helps us evaluate the emotional state of the other at every moment, so that we can adjust the characteristics of the relationship if necessary to improve the experience of one of the parties.
Managing an interpersonal relationship
This is where the other aspect of interpersonal intelligence comes into play: relationship management . This is perhaps one of the most difficult things to do, and this is reflected in the short duration of most relationships , especially as a couple. Starting from the basis of empathy, it is necessary to do something with this information, dedicate time and energy to nourishing the union.
A low degree of interpersonal intelligence usually gives rise to very frequent misunderstandings. If we don't know what the other person needs, we probably won't give it to them. If we are not aware of your concerns, we will not be there for you when you most want a shoulder to lean on . If we never stop to study his fears and frustrations, we will surely cause him certain absolutely unnecessary wounds simply by not knowing him well. Like any other, interpersonal intelligence can be stimulated to achieve development above innate.