In an age of digital technologies termed as the fourth industrial revolution or Industry 4.0, one of the basic life skills that is found lacking in society is Emotional Intelligence (EI). EI is a skill-set, commonly defined as the ability to be aware of and control one's own emotions while also maintaining the ability to manage relationships with others in a way that is fair and empathetic

What is Emotional intelligence?

One does not need to be a rocket scientist or qualified in psychology to notice that some of the most important skills for healthy well-being are not going round enough. Some of these skills are:

• Self-awareness
• Empathy
• Self-regulation
• Motivation
• Social skills
• Expressiveness
• Perceptiveness

Development of EI

EI has existed since time immemorial. EI is also gender neutral in that one can notice across species that those who are highly empathetic are among the most effective leaders. It is more often the case among primates that the leaders show just as much, if not more, empathy than the females of their species.

The first use of the term EI was in 1964 by a psychology professor named Michael Beldoch. But it was not until 1995 that the topic became mainstream. It was Daniel Goleman who in 1995 placed the concept of EI into the limelight with his book titled, Emotional Intelligence. Goleman is attributed to making EI popular, but research was taking place long before.

The psychologists Peter Salovey and John Mayer had already begun to study EI well before Goleman. They were the ones who came up with what is known as the ability model which states that there are four distinct skills that are necessary to understand EI and to behave emotionally intelligent:

• The ability to perceive emotions, such as through non-verbal body language and expressions;
• The ability to reason with emotions, using them in order to promote thinking;
• The ability to understand emotions, learning to interpret emotions, even in difficult situations; and
• The ability to manage emotions, such as being able to respond in the most appropriate manner, even when it is not the way you would like to behave.

Soon after Salovey and Mayer came up with their definitions, Goleman's model, referred to as the Mixed Model, rose to popularity, with its five components - self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills.

More recently, Konstantinos V. Petrides came up with what is known as the Trait Model. He emphasised and assumed that the perceptions of a person's own abilities determine how people approach a situation. So if you think you are patient you will respond patiently far more often than some who think of himself/herself as hot-headed.

In effect, EI can be broken down into three distinct points:

• The ability to understand one's own emotions;
• Being able to avoid falling for gut reactions and emotional impulses with self-regulation; and
• Being able to manage relationships with others in ways that are fair, empathetic and beneficial

Emotional Intelligence: The individual and the nation

EI is not only measured on an individual basis but can be comparatively studied on a nation by nation basis. For instance, Gallup's Latest Global Emotions Report studied which countries and areas felt the most worry and which remained positive during a second year of uncertainty brought on by the pandemic. The 2022 report can be downloaded to see the latest on emotional well-being around the globe.

Also, the Gallup organisation recently asked people around the globe whether they had experienced a set of 10 different emotions on the previous day (five positive and five negative). The study's results reported the percentage of people in each country who experienced all 10 emotions. Since humans experience hundreds of emotions each day, you would expect someone who is emotionally aware to recognise that he or she had experienced the full range of emotions on any given day.

It is noted that the least emotionally aware country at 36% awareness (Singapore) is the only country in the world to fully incorporate emotional intelligence skill development into its public schools. Making emotional intelligence education a priority in Singapore is a relatively recent development, so perhaps the country will climb the rankings in future Gallup polls. Malta stands at 52%. The country that ranked highest in emotional awareness was the Philippines with 60%.

Lack of EI

People who fail to use their emotional intelligence skills are more likely to turn to other, less effective means of managing their mood. They are twice as likely to experience anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and even thoughts of suicide.

Also the person will have difficulty asserting himself/herself. Malta's national statistics on crime, marriage breakdowns, suicide, drug and alcohol abuse and other addictions are some indicators of the downward trend of EI.

 It is no surprise that many Maltese romanticise with a great deal of nostalgia of a long time ago when their environment was calmer and Malta was more relaxed and happy as a nation. The rat-race and overdevelopment over the decades have taken their toll on the nation.

A Christian perspective on EI

In the synoptic gospels, Jesus exemplifies an emotionally intelligent person through such traits as his ability to elicit "healing trust in ill persons", "abundance mentality", self-awareness, empathy, optimism and stress resilience.

Also, emotionally intelligent people produce spiritual fruit as expounded by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Galatians in Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV): But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Perhaps one of the most prophetic and compelling scriptures of a time when their will be a lack of emotional intelligence is depicted in the Apostle Paul's second letter to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NIV). Perhaps we are already heading gas down to this type of predicament:

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God -  having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.