What is 'emotional intelligence' and how can it be developed in people? How does it help an individual in…

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What is 'emotional intelligence' and how can it be developed in people? How does it help an individual in taking ethical decisions?

Ghissu Editorial · Accepted Answer

Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognise and manage one's own and others' emotions; it is developed through family, schooling, reflection and exposure, and aids ethical decisions by exposing bias and curbing impulse. Empathy lets a decision-maker apply Gandhi's Talisman by weighing the poorest person's interest.

**Introduction**

Emotional intelligence (EI), defined by Salovey and Mayer (1990) and popularised by Goleman (1995), is the ability to recognise and manage one's own and others' emotions. Damasio's *Descartes' Error* (1994) showed that without emotion, people struggle to decide at all.

**Developing Emotional Intelligence in People**

SKETCH: mindmap | Goleman's Emotional Intelligence
- Self-awareness
- Self-regulation
- Motivation
- Empathy
- Social skills

1. **Family and schooling**: Parents model calm and fairness, as Kalam stressed, and Delhi's Happiness Curriculum (2018) adds daily mindfulness and reflection.
2. **Reflection and feedback**: Journalling, meditation and 360-degree feedback expose blind spots; Mission Karmayogi (2020) builds behavioural competencies into civil-service training.
3. **Exposure and role-play**: Village stays in the LBSNAA foundation course put trainee officers in citizens' shoes and build empathy.

**How EI Helps in Taking Ethical Decisions**

1. **Seeing one's own bias**: Self-awareness exposes anger, favouritism or fear before it bends a decision, prompting disclosure of a conflict of interest.
2. **Guarding against impulse**: Self-regulation prevents an **emotional hijack**, so a provocation or a bribe offer meets a considered refusal, the Gita's *sthitaprajna* ideal.
3. **Bringing the affected into view**: Empathy applies Gandhi's Talisman by asking how a step helps the poorest person.
4. **Acting on the right choice**: Social skills make right decisions workable; Armstrong Pame built a 100-km road in Manipur (2012) by mobilising villagers' labour and crowd-funded donations.

**Conclusion**

Emotional intelligence can be learnt through family, schooling, reflection and exposure. Rooted in values, it turns knowing the right thing into doing it fairly and firmly, giving a civil servant a clear head and a warm heart.

What is 'emotional intelligence' and how can it be developed in people? How does it help an individual in taking ethical decisions?

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