Defining Emotional Intelligence, from EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, by Daniel Goleman
I've enjoyed visiting the SLC Main Public Library this week. It's a beautiful building, and I love the feel of being here. But mainly it means I can find some of the books on my amazon wish list that aren't easy to find at Barnes and Noble, or the other main bookstores.
One book that was every bit as good as I was told it would be from a lecture by David DeAngelo is EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, by Daniel Goleman.
In his book, Goleman cites various scientific studies that examine the social benefits and costs of emotional intelligence vs. emotional ignorance. In chapter 3, he provides a set of emotional skills that many psychologists and researchers are indicating allow an individual to function effectively and lead a successful lifestyle.
This is really the first time I had ever seen information like this organized in this way, and I want to use this concept to work with my own emotional skills, as well. So I typed up the section that references the five emotional skills that make up emotional intelligence.
In recent years a growing group of psychologists has come to similar conclusions, agreeing with Gardner that the old concepts of IQ revolved around a narrow band of linguistic and math skills, and that doing well on IQ tests was most directly a predictor of success in the classroom or as a professor but less and less so as life's paths diverged from academe. These psychologists--Sternberg and Salovey among them-- have taken a wider view of intelligence, trying to reinvent it in terms of what it takes to lead a life successfully. And that line of enquiry leads back to an appreciation of just how crucial "personal" or emotional intelligence is.
Salovey subsumes Gardner's personal intelligences in his basic definition of emotional intelligence, expanding these abilities into five main domains:
Of course, people differ in their abilities in each of these domains; some of us may be quite adept at handling, say, our own anxiety, but relatively inept at soothing someone else's upsets. The underlying basis for our level of ability is, no doubt, neural, but as we will see, the brain is remarkably plastic, constantly learning. Lapses in emotional skills can be remedied: to a great extent each of these domains represents a body of habit and response that, with the right effort, can be improved upon. (Emotional Intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ, by Daniel Goleman; "When Smart Is Dumb," pages 43-44.)
One book that was every bit as good as I was told it would be from a lecture by David DeAngelo is EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, by Daniel Goleman.
In his book, Goleman cites various scientific studies that examine the social benefits and costs of emotional intelligence vs. emotional ignorance. In chapter 3, he provides a set of emotional skills that many psychologists and researchers are indicating allow an individual to function effectively and lead a successful lifestyle.
This is really the first time I had ever seen information like this organized in this way, and I want to use this concept to work with my own emotional skills, as well. So I typed up the section that references the five emotional skills that make up emotional intelligence.
In recent years a growing group of psychologists has come to similar conclusions, agreeing with Gardner that the old concepts of IQ revolved around a narrow band of linguistic and math skills, and that doing well on IQ tests was most directly a predictor of success in the classroom or as a professor but less and less so as life's paths diverged from academe. These psychologists--Sternberg and Salovey among them-- have taken a wider view of intelligence, trying to reinvent it in terms of what it takes to lead a life successfully. And that line of enquiry leads back to an appreciation of just how crucial "personal" or emotional intelligence is.
Salovey subsumes Gardner's personal intelligences in his basic definition of emotional intelligence, expanding these abilities into five main domains:
- Knowing one's emotions. Self-awareness--recognizing a feeling as it happens--is the keystone of emotional intelligence. As we will see in Chapter 4, the ability to monitor feelings from moment to moment is crucial to psychological insight and self-understanding. An inability to notice our true feelings leaves us at their mercy. People with greater certainty about their feelings are better pilots of their lives, having a super sense how they really feel about personal decisions from whom to marry to what job to take.
- Managing emotions. Handling feelings so they are appropriate is an ability that builds on self-awareness. Chapter 5 will examine the capacity to soothe oneself, to shake of rampant anxiety, gloom, or irritability--and the consequences of failure at this basic emotional skill. People who are poor in this ability are constantly battling feelings of distress, while those who excel in it can bounce back far more quickly from life's setbacks and upsets.
- Motivating oneself. As Chapter 6 will show, marshaling emotions in the service of a goal is essential for paying attention, for self-motivation and mastery, and for creativity. Emotional self-control--delaying gratification and stifling impulsiveness--underlies accomplishment of every sort. And being able to get into the "flow" state enables outstanding performance of all kinds. People who have this skill tend to be more highly productive and effective in whatever they undertake.
- Recognizing emotions in others. Empathy, another ability that builds on emotional self-awareness, is the fundamental "people skill." Chapter 7 will investigate the roots of empathy, the social cost of being emotionally tonedeaf, and the reasons empathy kindles altruism. People who are empathic are more attuned to the subtle social signals that indicate what others need or want. This makes them better at callings such as the caring professions, teaching, sales, and management.
- Handling relationships. The art of relationships is, in large part, skill in managing emotions in others. Chapter 8 looks at social competence and incompetence, and the specific skills involved. These are the abilities that undergird popularity, leadership, and interpersonal effectiveness. People who excel in these skill do well at anything that relies on interacting smoothly with others; they are social stars.
Of course, people differ in their abilities in each of these domains; some of us may be quite adept at handling, say, our own anxiety, but relatively inept at soothing someone else's upsets. The underlying basis for our level of ability is, no doubt, neural, but as we will see, the brain is remarkably plastic, constantly learning. Lapses in emotional skills can be remedied: to a great extent each of these domains represents a body of habit and response that, with the right effort, can be improved upon. (Emotional Intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ, by Daniel Goleman; "When Smart Is Dumb," pages 43-44.)