There is a new popular buzzword (buzz phrase?) very much in play these days, which is the idea of “Emotional Intelligence,” also known as “EQ.” (That abbreviation implies an “emotion quotient,” yikes. We’ll skip that mix of math and emotion for now.)
For an artist like me, the phrase “Emotional Intelligence” is far too vague. At the very least, let’s break this down into its most obvious fundamental components:
Okay, first there is SQ, or Social Intelligence.
This is anything from having read Emily Post’s Etiquette to knowing how to write a thank you note, or simply knowing how to dress properly for a given occasion. Social intelligence is always hard because most of us know the rules for our “home” social situation, but we don’t know the rules for different cultures.
Next is TQ, or Trauma Intelligence.
Many people have been through difficult experiences in their lives, and if you have not been through such things yourself, you can’t know what it feels like.
Next is BQ, or Boundary Intelligence.
This is about knowing when it’s time to leave, not calling people late at night, and not making romantic advances on someone who is not interested. Big topic.
Next is CQ, or Corruption Intelligence.
Corruption Intelligence is the opposite of naivete. It is the understanding and acceptance of the fact that human beings, even the most well-intended ones, can be corrupted by various circumstances. The recent banking crisis was caused, in no small degree, by a lack of Corruption Intelligence. The US Constitution is a marvelous creation in that it accepts Corruption Intelligence, and contains “checks and balances” to counter it. Many attempts at various new social orders (e.g., communism) have failed because they lacked Corruption Intelligence.
The hardest part about Corruption Intelligence is the fact that it can happen to anyone, you and me included. It is hard to develop, because it requires humility. It is easy to think “other people” are capable of such things, but “our little group of friends” is immune. The accusatory self-righteous political discourse we hear every day is evidence of a lack of Corruption Intelligence. We actually train the members of the upcoming power elite to not be humble. Simply living in an affluent society makes it far less likely to have a truly humbling experience. And if you were to have such a humbling experience, you might lose hubris, and we demand hubris of our potential leaders.
And I will end with NQ, or “Narcissism Intelligence.”
This is actually “not being narcissistic” intelligence. It is a hard one for me, and it is for most people. Narcissism is partly just a natural result of psychological trauma and stress. Also, in school (which for most is a traumatic experience), we are relentlessly encouraged to be narcissistic, to try to draw attention to ourselves, to make others aware of our achievements and expertise.
But there is also great power in the ability to simply sit back and let others talk about themselves and their problems. It has great healing effect, and it is also key to effective leadership and teamwork. It is easy to panic and think “I am not making a big impression here,” and yes, there are places where narcissistic behavior is heavily rewarded, usually at the cost of unit cohesion. But once you buy into that divisive competitive narcissistic system, you have given up some of your greatest power to truly change the world.
© Justin Locke
PS in our industrial culture, the idea of people being complex emotional creatures is a somewhat new concept, but in artistic culture, it’s business as usual. I would be happy to share that perspective with your team. –jl
