Emotionally Intelligent People Use a Simple 4 Word Phrase to Learn From Criticism and Strengthen Relationships

Imagine the following situation: You’re on your way to a party with your significant other. You make an innocent comment questioning why you’re going in the first place.

Suddenly, your partner snaps back.

“It’s not like I made this decision by myself, you know,” they say, obviously frustrated. “We made this decision together. We agreed we’d go to this thing!”

Your instinct will be to hear the delivery first, over what they’re saying. That’s absolutely normal. After all, you’re human, and both of you have emotions tied into this situation.

But the way you respond will determine not only how the next few minutes go, but how the rest of your day goes…and potentially much longer. How can you respond in a way that helps you to learn from your partner’s response, rather than exacerbate it?

Let me show you an emotional intelligence skill that few people have developed. It’ll help you, not just in your personal life, but in your professional one, too.

And you can start to practice it by reciting just four words to yourself: