Have you ever stopped to think about the dark side of emotional intelligence?The concept of emotional intelligence was invented in 1990 by Salovey and Mayer, although it was later popularized by a book written by Daniel Goleman. This skill has been recognized as a crucial skill, to succeed at various levels, both academically, professionally and personally.
The book published by Goleman has become a benchmark, so the concept of emotional intelligence has spread around the world through theories, lectures, studies and debates, and in 2002 UNESCO included it in educational programmes in 140 countries as an essential component of emotional learning. .
- The first definitions of intelligence referred to cognitive abilities.
- Leaving aside the emotional ones; later.
- Theories emerged that offered multiple intelligences.
- Classified into different types.
- Such as mathematical.
- Linguistic.
- And emotional.
Intrapersonal intelligence began to be discussed, which referred to the ability to know one’s emotions and feelings through self-analysis, then Goleman published his book and called it emotional intelligence.
For him, this means the ability to motivate, persevere in the face of frustrations, control impulses and regulate mood, and also be able to empathize and trust others.
Several components that refer to the previous definition have been identified in this theory.
This theory was very successful and began to be seen as fundamental and complementary to traditional intelligence, so it was concluded that these emotional skills influence people’s cognitive and adaptive abilities.
The infatuation of emotional intelligence as a determining factor of success has triggered assumptions, models and field research, the curious thing is that the concept became popular before we knew too much.
Thus, we learn, for example, that people with greater emotional intelligence tend to have better health and greater satisfaction with life, to go further in their profession and to have fewer interpersonal problems.
In this boom? To study this type of intelligence, public leaders began to be analyzed, as it was understood that they should have a particular ability to recognize, understand, and manage the emotions of others. Among them, one of the most influential leaders of the twentieth century, Adolf Hitler was studied.
This has resulted in an un commented line of research: the downside of emotional intelligence.
As mentioned above, Adolf Hitler could have demonstrated great emotional intelligence, another weapon that would have served him to seized power, with the disastrous consequences known to all.
This would be one of the best examples of how the ability to interpret one’s emotions, and especially those of others, is not always used in a positive way. Social scientists have begun to take an interest in this issue.
Emotional intelligence has been linked to narcissism. A group of Austrian researchers studied about 600 people and found that those with the highest scores on the rating scales tended to “seduce” others to meet their own interests.
Another Michigan study found that narcissism is closely related to the ability to recognize emotions, which, while essential for empathy, facilitates manipulation of others.
A University of Toronto study found that a person with high emotional intelligence is more likely to embarrass others to gain self-recognition. In addition, a curious fact from the same study is that these same people were more expert in recognizing negative emotions than positive ones. Emotions.
The same university found that in assessing Machiavellian tendencies, workers who sabotaged their own colleagues had higher levels of emotional intelligence.
Emotional intelligence is a skill that allows us to recognize and reflect on our own emotions and those of others, making it an important skill to live with greater well-being, giving emotions the important role they actually play. their own goals, as it influences other personal abilities.
However, it is for other factors, probably personal, moral and contextual, that this great skill should be used to do good to you and others.
Being emotionally intelligent doesn’t mean you have better emotional management, but you have to consider its different components and in which direction they will be handled.