8/12/2019 The Eq Factor

1/6

Steve Hein's Emotional Intelligence Home Page

TIME Magazine (full text)

October 2 !""# $olume !%& o !%

O$E* STO*+

THE E, -.TO*

e/ brain researc0 suggests t0at emotions not I,

ma1 be t0e true measure of 0uman intelligence+ .+ 3IS

It turns out t0at a scientist can see t0e future b1 /atc0ing

four41ear4ol5s interact /it0 a mars0mallo/ T0e researc0er

invites t0e c0il5ren one b1 one into a 6lain room an5 begins

t0e gentle torment +ou can 0ave t0is mars0mallo/ rig0t no/

0e sa1s ut if 1ou /ait /0ile I run an erran5 1ou can 0ave

t/o mars0mallo/s /0en I get bac7 .n5 t0en 0e leaves

Some c0il5ren grab for t0e treat t0e minute 0e's out t0e

5oor Some last a fe/ minutes before t0e1 give in ut ot0ers

are 5etermine5 to /ait T0e1 cover t0eir e1es8 t0e1 6ut t0eir

0ea5s 5o/n8 t0e1 sing to t0emselves8 t0e1 tr1 to 6la1 games or

even fall aslee6 90en t0e researc0er returns 0e gives t0ese

c0il5ren t0eir 0ar54earne5 mars0mallo/s .n5 t0en science

/aits for t0em to gro/ u6

1 t0e time t0e c0il5ren reac0 0ig0 sc0ool somet0ing

remar7able 0as 0a66ene5 . surve1 of t0e c0il5ren's 6arents

an5 teac0ers foun5 t0at t0ose /0o as four41ear4ol5s 0a5 t0e

fortitu5e to 0ol5 out for t0e secon5 mars0mallo/ generall1

gre/ u6 to be better a5:uste5 more 6o6ular a5venturousconfi5ent an5 5e6en5able teenagers T0e c0il5ren /0o gave in

to tem6tation earl1 on /ere more li7el1 to be lonel1 easil1

frustrate5 an5 stubborn T0e1 buc7le5 un5er stress an5 s0ie5

a/a1 from c0allenges .n5 /0en some of t0e stu5ents in t0e

t/o grou6s too7 t0e Sc0olastic .6titu5e Test t0e 7i5s /0o 0a5

0el5 out longer score5 an average of 2!; 6oints 0ig0er

90en /e t0in7 of brilliance /e see Einstein 5ee64e1e5

/ooll1 0aire5 a t0in7ing mac0ine /it0 s7in an5 mismatc0e5

soc7s Hig0 ac0ievers /e imagine /ere /ire5 for greatness

from birt0 ut t0en 1ou 0ave to /on5er /01 over time

natural talent seems to ignite in some 6eo6le an5 5im in

ot0ers T0is is /0ere t0e mars0mallo/s come in It seems t0at

t0e abilit1 to 5ela1 gratification is a master s7ill a trium60 of

t0e reasoning brain over t0e im6ulsive one It is a sign in

s0ort of emotional intelligence .n5 it 5oesn't s0o/ u6 on an

I, test -or most of t0is centur1 scientists 0ave /ors0i66e5

t0e 0ar5/are of t0e brain an5 t0e soft/are of t0e min58 t0e

mess1 6o/ers of t0e 0eart /ere left to t0e 6oets ut cognitive

t0eor1 coul5 sim6l1 not ex6lain t0e

8/12/2019 The Eq Factor

2/6

0ig0l1 6o6ularize5 conclusions sa1s McHug0 ?/ill c0ill an1

veteran sc0olar of 6s1c0ot0era61 an5 an1 neuroscientist /0o

/orries about 0o/ 0is researc0 ma1 come to be a66lie5?

90ile man1 researc0ers in t0is relativel1 ne/ fiel5 are gla5 to

see emotional issues finall1 ta7en seriousl1 t0e1 fear t0at a

notion as 0an51 as E, invites misuse 3oleman a5mits t0e

5anger of suggesting t0at 1ou can assign a numerical 1ar5stic7

to a 6erson's c0aracter as /ell as 0is intellect8 3oleman never

even uses t0e 60rase E, in 0is boo7 ut 0e (begru5gingl1)

a66rove5 an ?unscientific? E, test in @S. To5a1 /it0 c0oices

li7e ?I am a/are of even subtle feelings as I 0ave t0em? an5

?I can sense t0e 6ulse of a grou6 or relations0i6 an5 state

uns6o7en feelings?

?+ou 5on't /ant to ta7e an average of 1our emotional s7ill?

argues Harvar5 6s1c0olog1 6rofessor Aerome agan a 6ioneer

in c0il545evelo6ment researc0 ?T0at's /0at's /rong /it0 t0e

conce6t of intelligence for mental s7ills too Some 6eo6le

0an5le anger /ell but can't 0an5le fear Some 6eo6le can't ta7e

:o1 So eac0 emotion 0as to be vie/e5 5ifferentl1?

E, is not t0e o66osite of I, Some 6eo6le are blesse5 /it0

a lot of bot0 some /it0 little of eit0er 90at researc0ers 0ave

been tr1ing to un5erstan5 is 0o/ t0e1 com6lement eac0 ot0er8

0o/ one's abilit1 to 0an5le stress for instance affects t0e

abilit1 to concentrate an5 6ut intelligence to use .mong t0e

ingre5ients for success researc0ers no/ generall1 agree t0at

I, counts for about 2;F8 t0e rest 5e6en5s on ever1t0ing fromclass to luc7 to t0e neural 6at0/a1s t0at 0ave 5evelo6e5 in t0e

brain over millions of 1ears of 0uman evolution

It is actuall1 t0e neuroscientists an5 evolutionists /0o 5o

t0e best :ob of ex6laining t0e reasons be0in5 t0e most

unreasonable be0avior In t0e 6ast 5eca5e or so scientists 0ave

learne5 enoug0 about t0e brain to ma7e :u5gments about

/0ere emotion comes from an5 /01 /e nee5 it Primitive

emotional res6onses 0el5 t0e 7e1s to survival= fear 5rives t0e

bloo5 into t0e large muscles ma7ing it easier to run8 sur6rise

triggers t0e e1ebro/s to rise allo/ing t0e e1es to /i5en t0eir

vie/ an5 gat0er more information about an unex6ecte5 event

Disgust /rin7les u6 t0e face an5 closes t0e nostrils to 7ee6 out

foul smells

Emotional life gro/s out of an area of t0e brain calle5 t0e

limbic s1stem s6ecificall1 t0e am1g5ala /0ence come

5elig0t an5 5isgust an5 fear an5 anger Millions of 1ears ago

t0e neocortex /as a55e5 on enabling 0umans to 6lan learn

an5 remember Gust gro/s from t0e limbic s1stem8 love from

t0e neocortex .nimals li7e re6tiles t0at 0ave no neocortexcannot ex6erience an1t0ing li7e maternal love8 t0is is /01

bab1 sna7es 0ave to 0i5e to avoi5 being eaten b1 t0eir 6arents

Humans /it0 t0eir ca6acit1 for love /ill 6rotect t0eir

offs6ring allo/ing t0e brains of t0e 1oung time to 5evelo6

T0e more connections bet/een t0e limbic s1stem an5 t0e

neocortex t0e more emotional res6onses are 6ossible

It /as scientists li7e Aose60 GeDoux of e/ +or7

@niversit1 /0o uncovere5 t0ese cerebral 6at0/a1s GeDoux's

6arents o/ne5 a meat mar7et .s a bo1 in Gouisiana 0e first

learne5 about 0is future s6ecialt1 b1 cutting u6 co/s' brains

for s/eetbrea5s ?I foun5 t0em t0e most interesting 6art of t0e

co/'s anatom1? 0e recalls ?T0e1 /ere visuall1 6leasing44lots

of fol5s convolutions an5 6atterns T0e cerebellum /as more

interesting to loo7 at t0an stea7? T0e butc0ers' son became a

neuroscientist an5 it /as 0e /0o 5iscovere5 t0e s0ort circuit

in t0e brain t0at lets emotions 5rive action before t0e intellect

gets a c0ance to intervene

. 0i7er on a mountain 6at0 for exam6le sees a long

curve5 s0a6e in t0e grass out of t0e corner of 0is e1e He lea6s

out of t0e /a1 before 0e realizes it is onl1 a stic7 t0at loo7s

li7e a sna7e T0en 0e calms 5o/n8 0is cortex gets t0e message

a fe/ millisecon5s after 0is am1g5ala an5 ?regulates? its

6rimitive res6onse

9it0out t0ese emotional reflexes rarel1 conscious but often

terribl1 6o/erful /e /oul5 scarcel1 be able to function

?Most 5ecisions /e ma7e 0ave a vast number of 6ossible

outcomes an5 an1 attem6t to anal1ze all of t0em /oul5 never

en5? sa1s @niversit1 of Io/a neurologist .ntonio Damasio

aut0or of Descartes' Error= Emotion *eason an5 t0e Human

rain ?I'5 as7 1ou to lunc0 tomorro/ an5 /0en t0e a66ointe5time arrive5 1ou'5 still be t0in7ing about /0et0er 1ou s0oul5

come? 90at ti6s t0e balance Damasio conten5s is our

unconscious assigning of emotional values to some of t0ose

c0oices 90et0er /e ex6erience a somatic res6onse44a gut

feeling of 5rea5 or a gi551 sense of elation44emotions are

0el6ing to limit t0e fiel5 in an1 c0oice /e 0ave to ma7e If t0e

6ros6ect of lunc0 /it0 a neurologist is unnerving or

5istasteful Damasio suggests t0e invitee /ill convenientl1

remember a 6revious engagement

90en Damasio /or7e5 /it0 6atients in /0om t0e

connection bet/een emotional brain an5 neocortex 0a5 been

severe5 because of 5amage to t0e brain 0e 5iscovere5 0o/

central t0at 0i55en 6at0/a1 is to 0o/ /e live our lives Peo6le

/0o 0a5 lost t0at lin7age /ere :ust as smart an5

8/12/2019 The Eq Factor

3/6

/it0out .gain given sufficient self4

a/areness 6eo6le 5evelo6 co6ing mec0anisms Sa5ness an5

5iscouragement for instance are ?lo/ arousal? states an5 t0e

5is6irite5 salesman /0o goes out for a run is triggering a 0ig0

arousal state t0at is incom6atible /it0 sta1ing blue *elaxation

/or7s better for 0ig04energ1 moo5s li7e anger or anxiet1

Eit0er /a1 t0e i5ea is to s0ift to a state of arousal t0at brea7s

t0e 5estructive c1cle of t0e 5ominant moo5

T0e i5ea of being able to 6re5ict /0ic0 salesmen are most

li7el1 to 6ros6er /as not an abstraction for Metro6olitan Gife

/0ic0 in t0e mi54';s /as 0iring #;;; sales6eo6le a 1ear an5

training t0em at a cost of more t0an BC;;;; eac0 Half

T0e 0ea5 of t0e com6an1 a66roac0e5 6s1c0ologist Martin

Seligman at t0e @niversit1 of Penns1lvania an5 invite5 0im to

test some of 0is t0eories about t0e im6ortance of o6timism in

6eo6le's success 90en o6timists fail 0e 0as foun5 t0e1

attribute t0e failure to somet0ing t0e1 can c0ange not some

innate /ea7ness t0at t0e1 are 0el6less to overcome .n5 t0at

confi5ence in t0eir 6o/er to effect c0ange is self4reinforcingSeligman trac7e5 !#;;; ne/ /or7ers /0o 0a5 ta7en t/o

tests One /as t0e com6an1's regular screening exam t0e

ot0er Seligman's test measuring t0eir levels of o6timism

.mong t0e ne/ 0ires /as a grou6 /0o flun7e5 t0e screening

test but score5 as ?su6ero6timists? on Seligman's exam .n5

sure enoug0 t0e1 5i5 t0e best of all8 t0e1 outsol5 t0e

6essimists in t0e regular grou6 b1 2!F in t0e first 1ear an5

#F in t0e secon5 -or 1ears after t0at 6assing Seligman's test

/as one /a1 to get 0ire5 as a MetGife sales6erson

Per0a6s t0e most visible emotional s7ills t0e ones /e

recognize most rea5il1 are t0e ?6eo6le s7ills? li7e em6at01

graciousness t0e abilit1 to rea5 a social situation *esearc0ers

believe t0at about ";F of emotional communication is

nonverbal Harvar5 6s1c0ologist *obert *osent0al 5evelo6e5

t0e 6ons test (Profile of onverbal Sensitivit1) to measure

6eo6le's abilit1 to rea5 emotional cues He s0o/s sub:ects a

film of a 1oung /oman ex6ressing feelings44anger love

:ealous1 gratitu5e se5uction44e5ite5 so t0at one or anot0er

nonverbal cue is blan7e5 out In some instances t0e face isvisible but not t0e bo51 or t0e /oman's e1es are 0i55en so

t0at vie/ers 0ave to :u5ge t0e feeling b1 subtle cues Once

again 6eo6le /it0 0ig0er 6ons scores ten5 to be more

successful in t0eir /or7 an5 relations0i6s8 c0il5ren /0o score

8/12/2019 The Eq Factor

4/6

/ell are more 6o6ular an5 successful in sc0ool even /0en

t0eir I,s are

8/12/2019 The Eq Factor

5/6

.ssociation of In5e6en5ent Sc0ools /oul5 li7e to :un7 t0e sat

com6letel1 ?+es it ma1 cost a 0ec7 of a lot more mone1 to

assess someone's E, rat0er t0an using a mac0ine4score5 test

to measure I,? 0e sa1s ?ut if /e 5on't t0en /e're sa1ing

t0at a test score is more im6ortant to us t0an /0o a c0il5 is as

a 0uman being T0at means an immense loss in terms of

0uman 6otential because /e've 5efine5 success too narro/l1?

T0is /arm embrace b1 e5ucators 0as left some scientists in

a bin5 On one 0an5 sa1s +ale 6s1c0ologist Salove1 ?I love

t0e i5ea t0at /e /ant to teac0 6eo6le a ric0er un5erstan5ing of

t0eir emotional life to 0el6 t0em ac0ieve t0eir goals? ut 0e

a55s ?/0at I /oul5 o66ose is training conformit1 to social

ex6ectations? T0e 5anger is t0at an1 cam6aign to 0one

emotional s7ills in c0il5ren /ill en5 u6 teac0ing t0at t0ere is a

?rig0t? emotional res6onse for an1 given situation44laug0 at

6ara5es cr1 at funerals sit still at c0urc0 ?+ou can teac0 self4

control? sa1s Dr .lvin Poussaint 6rofessor of 6s1c0iatr1 at

Harvar5 Me5ical Sc0ool ?+ou can teac0 t0at it's better to tal7

out 1our anger an5 not use violence ut is it goo5 emotional

intelligence not to c0allenge aut0orit1>?

Some 6s1c0ologists go furt0er an5 c0allenge t0e ver1 i5ea

t0at emotional s7ills can or s0oul5 be taug0t in an1 7in5 of

formal classroom /a1 3oleman's 6remise t0at c0il5ren can

be traine5 to anal1ze t0eir feelings stri7es Ao0ns Ho67ins'

McHug0 as an effort to reinvent t0e encounter grou6= ?I

consi5er t0at an abominable i5ea an i5ea /e 0ave seen /it0a5ults T0at faile5 an5 no/ 0e /ants to tr1 it /it0 c0il5ren>

3oo5 griefK? He cites t0e 5escri6tion in 3oleman's boo7 of an

ex6erimental 6rogram at t0e ueva Gearning enter in San

-rancisco In one scene t/o fift04gra5e bo1s start to argue

over t0e rules of an exercise an5 t0e teac0er brea7s in to as7

t0em to tal7 about /0at t0e1're feeling ?I a66reciate t0e /a1

1ou're being assertive in tal7ing /it0 Tuc7er? s0e sa1s to one

stu5ent ?+ou're not attac7ing? T0is stri7es McHug0 as 6ure

foll1 ?T0e aut0or is 6resuming t0at someone 0as t0e 7e1 to

t0e rig0t emotions to be taug0t to c0il5ren 9e 5on't even

7no/ t0e rig0t emotions to be taug0t to a5ults Do 1ou reall1

t0in7 a c0il5 of eig0t or nine reall1 un5erstan5s t0e 5ifference

bet/een aggressiveness an5 assertiveness>?

T0e 6roblem ma1 be t0at t0ere is an ingre5ient missing

Emotional s7ills li7e intellectual ones are morall1 neutral

Aust as a genius coul5 use 0is intellect eit0er to cure cancer or

engineer a 5ea5l1 virus someone /it0 great em6at0ic insig0t

coul5 use it to ins6ire colleagues or ex6loit t0em 9it0out a

moral com6ass to gui5e 6eo6le in 0o/ to em6lo1 t0eir giftsemotional intelligence can be use5 for goo5 or evil olumbia

@niversit1 6s1c0ologist 9alter Misc0el /0o invente5 t0e

mars0mallo/ test an5 ot0ers li7e it observes t0at t0e 7nac7

for 5ela1ing gratification t0at ma7es a c0il5 one mars0mallo/

ric0er can 0el6 0im become a better citizen or44:ust as easil144

an even more brilliant criminal

3iven t0e 6assionate arguments t0at are raging over t0e

state of moral instruction in t0is countr1 it is no /on5er

3oleman c0ose to focus more on neutral emotional s7ills t0an

on t0e values t0at s0oul5 govern t0eir use T0at's anot0er

boo744an5 anot0er 5ebate

*e6orte5 b1 S0aron E E66erson an5 Ga/rence Mon5iLe/

+or7 Aames G 3raffL0icago an5 Gisa H To/leL*aleig0

o61rig0t !""# Time Inc .ll rig0ts reserve5

444444

M1 original notes from t0e article

Mars0mallo/ stu51 .bout 5ela1e5 gratification 5one /it0

%1ol5s

T0ose /0o 5ela1e5 gratification /ere later foun5 to be

a5:uste5 more 6o6ular a5venturous confi5ent an5

5e6en5able teenagers vs t0ose /0o 5i5 not /0o /ere

relativel1 more lonel1 easil1 frustrate5 stubborn8 buc7le5

un5er stress s0ie5 a/a1 from c0allenges

-irst grou6 score5 2!; 6oints 0ig0er on S.T tests

?a trium60 of t0e reasoning brain over t0e im6ulsive one?

.rticle sa1s emotional intelligence is a term ?coine5? b1

Peter Salove1 (+ale) J Ao0n Ma1er (@ of e/ Ham6s0ire) to

5escribe

8/12/2019 The Eq Factor

6/6

s6ecificall1 t0e am1g5ala from /0ic0 comes 5elig0t 5isgust

anger fear T0en t0e neocortex /as a55e5 on allo/ing us to

6lan learn J remember Gust comes from limbic s1stem love

from neocortex T0is last statement is anot0er exam6le of t0e

6oetic license use5 b1 t0e /riters of t0e article since love is

too 5ifficult to 5efine to ma7e suc0 a 6ronouncementN

T0e more connections bet/een t0e limbic s1stem an5 t0e

neocortex t0e more emotional res6onses are 6ossible

Descartes' Error= Emotion *eason an5 t0e Human rain b1

.ntonio Damasio Decisions ma5e b1 emotional values

Describing 6eo6le /0ose connections /ere severe5 bet/een

t0e limbic J neocortex=

?T0e1 coul5 not ma7e 5ecisions because t0e1 5i5n't 7no/

0o/ t0e1 felt about t0eir c0oices?

?T0e1 /ere :ust as smart J