A mysterious emotional intelligence (EQ) does not exist someplace in the globe. However, there are actual capacities for emotional regulation and social cognition that differ from person to person.
Ali Lashari
Emotional intelligence is a concept that has crossed my path multiple times in both my professional and personal life. One school of thought holds that, similar to how IQ varies from person to person, EQ does as well. This made sense to me at first glance, so I held onto it for a while.
However, with further examination, I am considerably less convinced than before.
Actually, the term “Emotional Intelligence” was used to describe a set of abilities that are centered on emotions. These abilities include self-awareness and regulation of emotions, social awareness and the ability to manage relationships appropriately. Some people consider “Empathy” to be fundamental to this group of abilities.
Due in large part to its target audience – businessmen – the concept’s popularity skyrocketed. The premise was that emotional intelligence (EQ) was a key factor in determining leadership success and that developing expertise in areas related to EQ would pave the way to professional fulfilment.
In traditionally male-dominated fields, the concept of “being in touch with your emotions” has never really taken off, but the idea of “improving your EQ” to “become a better leader” seemed much more manageable. For all intents and purposes, it read like a masculine-coded business self-help manual for individual growth, with a dash of actual psychology thrown in for good measure.
And the idea of emotional intelligence stayed as it was supported and enjoyed by a group of prosperous businesspeople. Even in the modern day, there are books written and speeches delivered at conferences and seminars that aim to improve our emotional intelligence.
And these days, every leader is an emotional entity; they are in tune with their feelings, can identify their own moods, and are sensitive to and responsive to the feelings of others around them. Is that so?
The Original Intent of Emotional Intelligence Was Always to Serve as a Comparison
It makes an effort to generalize our knowledge of intelligence (IQ) to the realm of emotions. Authentic intelligence tests, like the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Fifth Edition (WAIS-V), evaluate five distinct capacities:
(1) Understanding spoken language, (2) Using visual and spatial information, (3) Ability to Reason Fluidly, (4) Ability to Maintain Working Memory, and (5) Processing Speed.
Standardized tests, which are essentially glorified minigames, are used by psychologists to evaluate these and other abilities. Abilities and performance on certain cognitive tasks can be measured in an objective way.
A Lack of Effective Emotional Intelligence Occurs Due to:
Feelings vary from person to person and from culture to culture.
Being good at recognizing and managing one emotion doesn’t guarantee mastery of all of them.
Just because you have mastered the art of controlling your own emotions doesn’t imply you’ll have any trouble controlling the emotions of others around you.
Expectations regarding emotions are mostly rooted in stereotypes and “emojification,” and the scientific community’s agreement on “how many emotions there are” is lacking.
Various aspects of our personalities, life experiences, and past shape how we deal with various emotions.
A unique set of “skills” is required for each of our emotions.
Ultimately, various feelings elicit distinct responses. Anger and happiness are distinct emotions. Distinction exists between excitement and anxiety. Disgust and love are distinct emotions. Jealousy and resentment are two distinct emotions.
It may seem like a no-brainer that people can acquire effective stress management techniques to lower their “anxiety” levels, but it doesn’t mean they’ll be able to handle other emotions just as well. It is illogical to claim that a single notion, “Emotional Intelligence,” can improve our ability to manage all emotions.
If you’re the type of person who views other people primarily as commodities, emotional intelligence can help you develop some fundamental social skills. This serves as a helpful reminder to corporate leaders that their employees are people, not machines, and that treating them with respect may lead to greater productivity.
However, there is some evidence to imply that people differ in their sensitivity to emotions in general, with some experiencing a broader spectrum of emotions and others more profoundly. The amount you try to control your emotions is probably related to how much you actually feel them.
What We Really Require (Along with My Current Activities)
The concept of emotional intelligence is losing me.
We need to be able to handle each emotion as a distinct set of skills to acquire, rather than assuming that one concept affects all emotions universally. A complete taxonomy of emotions is required, along with strategies for enhancing our connection with each one.
Just like strengthening my biceps won’t automatically make my legs stronger, honing our empathy skills won’t magically make us more capable of handling every emotion. We need to work out every muscle group separately if we want to be truly balanced. Similarly, we need to be open to treating each emotion as a separate yet interdependent ability.
In my opinion, there are around twenty-seven to thirty distinct emotions, and I’m doing my best to document each one with helpful observations and concrete suggestions on how to enhance it. That, unluckily, is the article’s shocking conclusion…
Do you have any thoughts? Are you joining me in abandoning the concept of emotional intelligence, or are you still adamant that there must be some kind of EQ somewhere in the world?
A mysterious emotional intelligence (EQ) does not exist someplace in the globe. However, there are actual capacities for emotional regulation and social cognition that differ from person to person.
Read: Thoughts from the Ethical Philosophy
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Ali Lashari is Assistant Director (Excavation & Exploration), Directorate of Archaeology & Antiquities Wing, Culture, Tourism, Antiquities & Archives department Government of Sindh.
