Goleman's Model of Emotional Intelligence

Blog written by, Tejsinh Mohite

Emotions are a part of our identity. They are what make us who we are. Humans, being emotional creatures, are one of the few that have figured out how to control their emotions. While animals and birds do show some emotional consideration, such as a wolf's despondent howl in the forest as it mourns the death of one of its own, or a bird displaying parental responsibility by protecting its hatchling from potential hazards. All beings experience emotions in some way, and this outward presentation of emotions shapes who we are in the world.

These emotions are built into human nature, according to evolutionary biologists, because even Homo-Sapiens in the prehistoric world exhibited emotions. Humans have developed the mental capacity to better control their emotions as they have grown over the ages. Several societal and governmental restraints have also been imposed to keep our emotional outbursts in check.

Have you ever been tempted to punch someone in your life? That's Anger for you. A Feeling. It's one of the toughest emotions to overcome. Anger is an irrational impulse that takes over our brain's reasonable activity, and it can often lead to violence. Anger management is a major problem, and many people seek treatment to deal with their violent outbursts. As a result, controlling rage is a difficult effort. However, some people have been recorded in the past who have completely transcended their emotions; their examples represent the ideal of a supreme being. 

Siddhartha Gautama was born into a noble family, but he abandoned it to pursue enlightenment. He disowned the materialistic world and lived a quiet life in the woods as a result of his way of life. His calm and compassionate demeanor, as well as his ethical and contemplative teachings, were well-known. He was a man who was beyond his inclinations and desires, a man who was above his emotions. Gautam Buddha was the name given to him.

If a human is unable to control his primal cravings and impulses of Greed, Lust, Envy, and Wrath, he would undoubtedly sink into a bottomless abyss. In a modern culture, or any society for that matter, a human who acts in favor of these instincts and drives is considered an animal. The comparison of a human to an animal is made not only to be insulting, but also because animals in general lack sufficient cognitive conduct and operate primarily on their instincts and urges. As a result, it is not just an insult, but it also fits its description. A human who has no control over his behavior is nothing more than a slave to his emotions.

Nonetheless, these primal emotions and impulses have aided in the saving of many lives. Many people refer to it as a gut feeling. As a result, it's no surprise that these emotions were effective centuries ago and are still effective now.

These feelings play a role in a civilization's social and governmental components as well. It is socially accepted that a guy should act manly, be the head of the household, and work hard to provide for his family. A woman, on the other hand, must dress modestly, avoid revealing her chastity, and be a nurturing mother to her children. The government, on the other hand, is responsible for protecting the citizen's well-being from the emotional outbursts of some individuals. The government has played a role in this by establishing structures such as police, mental institutions, and hospitals, where people who have emotional outbursts are either adequately handled or penalized.

The expression of emotions is greatly determined by a child's upbringing from childhood to maturity. A child who has had an abusive childhood is more prone to have violent emotional outbursts, whereas a youngster who has had a decent upbringing is more likely to be a trustworthy adult. Variables do arise, but this isn't always the case. 

However, the study concludes that a child's emotions are also influenced by his culture and society as a whole as he matures into a man. A terrible culture and society that encourages and promotes debauchery, depravity, promiscuity, and degeneracy will wreck a young man's life. The most important moment to impart required wisdom to a child is during his upbringing; after he reaches adolescence, it becomes very difficult to communicate the value of good emotional behavior and how to control it.

Emotional states and their affects:-

1) Anger:- When a person grows progressively irritated or agitated by something or someone, he becomes furious. As the heart thumps loudly in the chest, blood rushes through the veins and goes to the brain, releasing adrenaline. This makes it easier for the person to launch a physical assault. As adrenaline acts as a natural anesthetic, one is less prone to pain in this state.

2) Fear:- When a person feels afraid of something or someone, his body becomes frozen as his heart thumps loudly in his ribcage. A bolt of excitement rushes through you, yet you almost lose feeling in your legs, which feel as if they're made of lead. As fear grips you, a powerful primitive impulse arises in your thoughts, offering two options: flee or battle it out until your last breath.

3) Happiness:- Happiness is frequently associated with sentiments or emotions that are positive and enjoyable. These feelings aid in the relaxation of our bodies as well as the stabilization of our emotional and mental health. However, being happy all of the time might be harmful since it makes a person more sensitive, gullible, and less likely to take high-risk, stressful occupations. 

4) Sadness:- Sadness is frequently related with the invading of negative and unpleasant sentiments or emotions. These emotions increase stress levels in our bodies and have a severe impact on our emotional and mental health. Being depressed all of the time is also harmful, since it causes tension, headaches, nausea, and depression, among many other things.

These emotions are controlled by the brain, specifically the brainstem. The brainstem is found near the top of the spinal cord and controls all of the body's recurrent motions, including breathing, consciousness, blood pressure, heart rate, and sleep. Then, as a result of evolution, we acquired a Neocortex, or thinking brain, from which higher cognitive functioning is assumed to derive. Higher brain processes such as perception, decision-making, and language are all centered here. As a result, we can deduce that there existed an emotional brain first, followed by a rational brain.

Manipulating Emotions:-

Emotional manipulation happens when a manipulative person seeks authority over another person by using deceptive or exploitative tactics. An emotional manipulator seeks to utilize, manipulate, or even victimize someone else, in contrast to people in good relationships who display mutual dependence and cooperation. 

From time to time, almost everyone can be a little bit manipulative. A person may be having a rough day at times. They might have gotten into terrible habits and hadn't always communicated well. In certain situations, simply pointing out someone's inappropriate behavior may be enough to put an end to it. Some people, on the other hand, are habitually or pathologically manipulative and should be treated with caution.

Types of Emotional Manipulation:-

1) Passive Aggressive:- This is a broad category of conduct that encompasses a variety of tactics including guilt-tripping, backhanded compliments, and others. Passive hostility is a means of expressing dissatisfaction or anger without expressing it directly.

2) Gaslighting:- Gaslighting includes persuading the victim of manipulation to doubt their own perception of reality. For example, an abusive individual may deny that the abuse occurred, claiming that the victim's memory is faulty.

3) Moving the Goalposts:- When a manipulative individual adjusts the criteria that must be met in order to satisfy them, this occurs. A bully, for example, might use a coworker's clothing as a pretext to harass them. If the person changes their clothes, the bully may then imply that they don't "deserve" professional respect until they change their hairdo, accent, or some other characteristic.

Harmonizing Rational Thought with the Irrational Emotions:-

The connections between the amygdala and the neocortex serve as a focal point for conflicts or cooperative agreements between head and heart, thought and emotion. This circuitry explains why emotion is so important for good reasoning, both in terms of making wise judgments and just thinking effectively.

Consider how emotions might cause thinking to be disrupted. Working memory is a concept coined by neuroscientists to describe the capacity of attention that allows a person to remember the facts needed to complete a task or solve a problem. If a person is stressed, it will effect his thinking, which, in turn, will effect his decision making and judgement. An emotionally unstable employee can bring upon disastrous effects to the company he is working for. Unless of course, he learns how to integrate his emotions into his work ethic.

We have two brains, two thoughts, and two types of intellect: rational intelligence and emotional intelligence. Not only IQ, but emotional intelligence, also determines how well we do in life. Indeed, without emotional intelligence, intellect cannot function optimally, and vice versa. Emotional intelligence, as well as intellectual ability, rises when these two interact well. This flips the traditional idea of the conflict between reason and feeling on its head: we don't seek to eliminate emotion and replace it with reason, but rather create an intelligent balance between the two. 

The old paradigm promoted a rational, emotion-free existence. The new paradigm encourages us to balance our thoughts and feelings. To do well in our lives, we must first gain a better understanding of what it means to use emotion wisely.

Why Emotional Intelligence should be preferred while Hiring:-

Employees with a higher Emotional Intelligence (EI) are more self-aware, have a better understanding of their colleagues, and are better at meeting deadlines. They are unaffected by the criticism of their clients, and they remain focused on the outcomes. An employee who has a high EI and IQ surpasses his competitor who only has a high IQ. Companies must choose people with a high EI, and it is one of the most important characteristics to consider when making a hiring decision. 

The way you hire talented employees can make or break your company. A competent employee may transform your organization, propelling it to new heights and providing a source of long-term growth. To circumvent this, many businesses are abandoning traditional hiring techniques. Google and other tech companies are placing a greater emphasis on emotional intelligence rather than where a person went to school or what grades they received.

Let’s look at some reasons why hiring emotionally intelligent people would benefit your organization:

1) Problem Solvers Not Problem Dwellers:- You want people on your team who can handle problems not only before they become out of hand, but also by considering alternate viewpoints. When confronted with an issue, persons with high emotional intelligence strive to solve it as quickly as feasible with the best possible outcome. Furthermore, emotionally intelligent people are most productive when they solve problems rather than just sitting on them.

2) Managing Emotions Is Key:- Surprisingly, 90% of top performers are adept at controlling their emotions in high-pressure situations, allowing them to remain calm and in command. They also keep everything in check by remaining upbeat and disconnecting. Stress is a normal part of your job, whether you’re in finance or human resources. However, as long as it isn’t prolonged, it’s harmless and can actually be good for you. 

In fact, research from the University of California, Berkeley, found that the onset of stress entices the brain into growing new cells responsible for improved memory. How employees manage their emotions can make a big a difference in the end. Highly emotionally intelligent people are self-aware and understand when they need to take a step back if things are getting a bit heavy.

3) "Yes People" Don't Survive:- "Yes people" is a term you've probably heard before. On paper, "yes people" appear to be happy, but they nearly never last and might really impair your company's future. Indeed, according to study from the University of California, San Francisco, the more difficult it is to say no, the more likely you are to experience stress, burnout, and even despair. Emotionally intelligent people won't say yes unless they truly want to, which can influence their level of engagement with a task and the end result.

Last Word:

As of finishing this article, I have read Daniel Goleman's book on Emotional Intelligence and continue to find the subject of emotions and emotional intelligence to be incredibly fascinating. I feel like I've only scratched the surface of the iceberg. Various studies are being undertaken, and new discoveries are being made every day, yet Daniel Goleman's book, while being released in 1995, still contains some validity.

It would be exceedingly naive of me to remark and give a few ideas as someone who has only recently examined the literature on this topic, but I'll do it nonetheless, and I'll live with it.

My understanding is that we should not try to control our emotions, but rather integrate them into our daily life. Let me give you an example: telling children that they must learn to manage their anger or they will become a bad member of society when they grow up is a bad approach. Rather, we should teach these children how to channel their rage and redirect it in the correct path. In this scenario, the best course of action would be to direct your rage toward a goal or a cause that benefits society.

People should be taught how to control their emotions and how to be an emotional literate first rather than being intelligently literate. A society that is emotionally literate could move us in the right direction.