Emotional Intelligence Boosts Productivity and Prosocial Behaviours

The tragedy of not noticing the other person, not tuning into the other person, to empathise and to understand what is going on with them makes us less human.

Daniel Goleman, the author of Emotional Intelligence, talks about a classic experiment in social psychology in a theological seminary. Each student was told that they are going to get a topic for a practice sermon. Many were given the passage of the Good Samaritan - the story of a stranger who was wounded and was left by the wayside, and the man who stopped by to help this stranger in need who was lying by the side of the road. The students were supposed to prepare the sermon and go to the next building and deliver the sermon. As each student were going over to the next building to deliver their well prepared sermon they passed by a man who was bent over and groaning in pain. The interesting question of the social experiment is, ‘did they stop to help?’ And the more interesting question is, ‘did it matter if they are following the parable of the Good Samaritan?’ The social experiment proved that it did not matter, the study of the parable of the Good Samaritan and the preparation of the sermon made no difference at all in their social behaviour; what mattered was how well they had learned the story and how well they would deliver it. This is the story of our lives.

The tragedy of not noticing the other person, not tuning into the other person, to empathise and to understand what is going on with them, and if they are in need, and there is something that we can do, like being compassionate and helping them, makes us less human. Qualities such as self-awareness, empathy and social skills are more important than raw IQ. These so-called softer skills are the ones which determine whether or not people excel at work, have flourishing relationships, be able to navigate through difficult conversations, and develop pro-social behaviour.

Staying on with Goleman, “Emotional Intelligence refers to how well we handle ourselves and our relationships.” The competencies often spoken about are knowing what we are feeling and why we are feeling it, which would lead to good decision making; handling our stressful emotions in effective manner that they don’t cripple you; getting involved and enthused in what we are doing; knowing what others are going through; and developing a skilled social relationships. Goleman proposes that we must teach kids in a systematic way, self-awareness, self-management, empathy, and social skills.

Emotional Intelligence and Productivity

The World Economic Forum published the Future of Jobs report in 2015. Many chief human resources officers from global companies were asked what they saw as the top talents and proficiencies required for workers to thrive by 2020. Interestingly enough there was a consensus, they said, Emotional Intelligence. Fast forward to 2022, emotional intelligence unquestionably has become an important predictor of job success. Companies are placing a high value on people with emotional intelligence for several reasons, like, they cooperate better with others, are exceptional listeners, are open to feedback, and show more empathy.

Amusingly, most of the above competencies are not taught in business schools; they are not even must have resources to start a business; but they determine your productivity. Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, which is arguably one of the most productive and successful companies of 21st century, talks about cleverness, money and competitiveness, without which one can’t to businesses; but strangely he places a greater importance on being kind, which is a choice one makes; and it is a consequence of Emotional Intelligence. A quote from Theodore Roosevelt may be in place here, “No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.”

Emotional Intelligence and  Anti/Prosocial Behaviour 

Prosocial behaviours are characterised by engagement with the other and a concern for the rights, feelings, and welfare of other people. They include a wide range of actions such as helping, sharing, comforting, and cooperating. Social scientists use this term as antonym for the term antisocial behaviour.

Emotional intelligence

Studies have established that emotional intelligence plays a role in promoting pro- social behaviour; and minimising antisocial behaviours. Individuals with high emotional intelligence show better empathy, and less negative behaviours in interactions with others.

The social behaviour of people: how leaders lead, how teachers teach, how parents parent depends on their emotional intelligence. Marc Brackett, the founding director of the Yale Centre for Emotional Intelligence and professor in the Child Study Centre at Yale University has a four colour graph to self-check our emotional quotient. According to the degree of the emotional energy level and the pleasantness of the moment our social behaviours change. If one feels very unpleasant at a moment and very high on energy, then one could go antisocial. If one is feeling pleasant and high on energy, one could behave very prosocial. The effectiveness of life would depend acknowledging our thoughts and feelings and work on them, and build up healthy optimism which sustains high emotional energies.

Comments

Visual Analysis: SEMIOTICS

Visual analysis is a systematic and scientific approach to examining visual materials that goes far beyond casual observation. In our visually saturated world, images have become a inescapable universal language that shapes our perceptions, attitudes, and experiences. From the artworks adorning gallery walls to the advertisements lining city streets, visuals communicate narratives, evoke emotions, and reflect sociocultural ideologies . However, the process of seeing and interpreting visuals is not as spontaneous or natural as we often assume. As John Berger notably stated, " seeing is an active decision ," suggesting that the process of interpreting visuals is neither spontaneous nor natural, but rather requires conscious effort and critical thinking. The way we perceive and interpret visual content is heavily influenced by habits, conventions, and our individual perspectives. Serious visual analyses requires conscious effort and critical analysis to unravel the ...

The Male Gaze and the Construction of Gender in Visual Culture

Visual culture encompasses the totality of images, visuals, and visual practices that shape our lived experience. It manifests through art, photography, cinema, design, and countless other forms, representing the ideas, customs, and social behaviours that revolve around visual materials. Visual culture is not merely decorative or informational; it is a powerful force that produces, circulates, and interprets visual forms to construct meanings, shape beliefs, and convey power within specific cultural contexts. From traditional artworks such as paintings and sculptures to mass media like film, television, and advertising, from digital platforms including websites, apps, and video games to everyday objects like fashion, logos, and packaging—all these elements communicate meaning and fundamentally shape our understanding of the world. The quality and impact of visual culture depend on two critical factors: the quality of the visual content created and the nature of the act of see...

The History of Visual Analysis: The Power and Politics of the Image

The history of visual analysis represents humanity's evolving relationship with images—from cave paintings to digital screens, from religious icons to internet memes. This intellectual journey traces how we have moved from simple description to complex theoretical frameworks that reveal the hidden structures, ideologies, and meanings embedded in visual culture. While visual analysis has ancient roots, its most transformative developments have occurred in the modern and contemporary periods, fundamentally reshaping how we understand the power and politics of the image. Early Foundations The early history of visual analysis established essential methodologies that would later be challenged and expanded. Pliny the Elder 's first-century documentation of artists and techniques in his Natural History represented an empirical approach—cataloging rather than interpreting. This descriptive tradition continued through Giorgio Vasari 's biographical narratives in The Lives of the A...

Visual Culture

Visual culture is a multifaceted field that examines the pervasive role of visuals in shaping human understanding, beliefs, and behaviours. It posits that visuals are not merely reflections of reality but rather " constructed realities " that actively influence our perception of the world. At its heart, visual culture positions visuals as the reference and data for knowledge, beliefs, thinking, creations, behaviour, etc.; which in turn further shapes current beliefs, thinking, creations, behaviour, etc. Visuals are images/collection of images that are made to be seen. Framed (made) and put out. This highlights that visuals are not spontaneous occurrences but deliberate constructions, detached from the place and time in which it first made its appearance, says, John Berger . Examples like the contrasting Newsweek and TIME magazine covers of O.J. Simpson illustrate how different framings of the same event can convey distinct messages and narratives, underscoring the idea ...

Types of Research

With reference to the discipline in which one is doing the research, there may be different ways to categorise research. here it is done keeping in mind Social Science research under which falls media studies. When you start planning a research project, developing research questions and creating a research design, you will have to make various decisions about the type of research you want to do. There are many ways to categorise different types of research, considering, the type of knowledge you aim to produce, the type of data you will collect; and the sampling methods, timescale and location of the research. This article takes a look at some common distinctions made between different types of research and outlines the key differences between them. Please study the PDF below (PDF is only for academic use) Types of Research PDF Research is not a monolithic activity. It takes many forms depending on what the researcher is trying to achi...

Visual Analysis: LANGUAGE, ELEMENTS, AND GRAMMAR

Visual communication plays a powerful role in shaping our understanding of the world. Like written and spoken language, visuals employ a complex grammar and system of meaning. Study the PDF below (for academic use only) Visual language, elements, and grammar PDF At its core, visual grammar is comprised of fundamental elements like line, shape, colour, texture, space, and typography. These are the basic building blocks that visual creators assemble and organise using principles like emphasis, contrast, composition, size, proportion, balance, and lighting. Just as words are assembled following the syntactical rules of language, visuals are constructed by purposefully arranging and relating these elemental units. Lines, for instance, can convey a range of associations through their orientation and qualities. Horizontal lines suggest stability and calm, verticals impart a sense of strength and authority, while diagonals imbue dynamism and movement. The weight and curvature of lines fu...

Sigmund Freud on Creative Writing and Day-Dreaming

Freud in his essay, Creative Writers and Day-Dreaming, explores the psychological origins of artistic creativity and the impact of literature on readers. He draws parallels between the imaginative activity of creative writers and the day-dreaming of ordinary people. It is a discussion about the relationship between creative art and unconscious phantasy. In it, Freud talks about the role of daydreaming and fantasy in human behaviour, and how creative writers are able to express their daydreams without shame or self-reproach. Read the essay below (for academic use only) Creative Writers and Day Dreaming PDF Freud argues that the child's play and the adult's phantasies/daydreams share a common element—the desire to alter an unsatisfactory reality and fulfil unfulfilled wishes. The creative writer is like a successful daydreamer who is able to transform their private fantasies into works that provide pleasure to the audience. Freud suggests that the writer's choice of subject...

photo.graph.art.design

Search This Blog