Psychologists indicate that lifes’ success depends 20% on Intelligence Quotient (IQ) and 80% Emotional Quotient (EQ) and Adversity Quotient (AQ), collectively referred to as the “3Qs”.
With the increasing rate of depression and suicide in the society today, it has become important for one to take a break from the thrills and frills and focus on the mind.
For many years, researchers and psychologists have devoted many years of study to IQ and EQ until about two decades ago, when Paul Stoltz introduced a new yet interesting & intriguing concept – Adversity Quotient (AQ), which tells how well one withstands adversity and his ability to triumph over it.
Let’s pay a visit to what intelligence, emotional and adversity quotients for a bit.
Intelligent Quotient (IQ):
This is what helps one to understand academic concepts, solve arithmetic, memorise things and recall subject matters.
Emotional Quotient (EQ):
This is what makes someone be able to maintain peace with others; keep to time; be responsible; be honest; respect boundaries; be humble, genuine and considerate.
Now there is a 3rd one – a new paradigm.
The Adversity Quotient (AQ): This makes people go through a rough patch in life and come out without losing their centres. The AQ determines who will give up in face of troubles, who will abandon their family or who will consider suicide.
According to FWD; “AQ is the most scientifically robust and widely used method in the world for measuring and strengthening human resilience. Top leaders, industry-leading companies, and governments worldwide use AQ to enhance or transform characteristics such as performance, productivity, and innovation.”
Scientific Backbone of AQ:
Hundreds of research studies lend support to the role AQ plays in determining one’s ability to triumph over obstacles.
The Bottom Line is your thoughts and emotions determine the strength of your body chemistry down to the cellular level.
At the highest level of adversity, people fall into two groups:
Pessimists:
• They consider any adversity to be permanent and personal.
• They believe that any crisis will never end and that it couldn’t get any better.
• They believe the bad that happens is their fault.
Optimists:
• They see adversity and problems as challenges to surmount.
• They see problems as temporary, limited, and external to themselves.
• They do not internalise issues and have a ‘This too shall pass’ philosophy.
How to Improve AQ?
Using the LEAD acronym, Stitches one can cross from the pessimist to the optimist side of life.
Listen to your responses to adversity.
Explore the origin of problems.
Analyze the evidence you have.
Do something to make it better.
Like IQ, AQ can be tested, with scores falling among three broad categories:
Low AQ (0–59): Low levels of motivation, low energy, poor performance, and persistence with a tendency to see the problems as bigger than they originally are.
Moderate AQ (95–134): This level consits of people who suffer from under-utilization their potentials. They allow problems to take a significant and unnecessary toll.
High AQ (166–200): At this level, the individual maintains an appropriate perspective on events and responses to them. The person is able to continue forward with upward progress despite significant adversity.
Caveat: This is not in any way aimed at replacing real psychology assessment. Anyone experiencing depression or harbouring suicidal thoughts is strongly advised to seek medical attention immediately.