The Meaning of the term “Emotional Intelligence.”
Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People, that appeared in 1936 during the Great Depression, sold more than 15 million copies and became the seminal work in the art of salesmanship. In his book, Carnegie stressed the importance of empathizing with your client, seeing things from his or her point of view, and placing the client’s wishes and dreams at the forefront of your pitch. Emphasizing the primacy of making your client feel important and deferring on issues that may be contentious, Carnegie invoked the ancient Chinese proverb, “He who treads lightly goes far.” His book became the basis for training in salesmanship and paved the way for the concept of what was later called, “interpersonal skills.”
The concept of emotional intelligence as a combination of “intrapersonal skills” and “interpersonal skills” emerged in the work of Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner, who objected to the use of IQ as a single measure of intelligence, arguing that it excludes other cognitive abilities such as innate social skills, athletic potential, and musical ability that contribute to an individual’s success in life. In his seminal book Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences, published in 1983, Gardner proposed that intelligence has 7 basic components shown in Figure 8.1 from the book, Intelligence, IQ & Perception.
He asserted that the standard IQ tests measure only the first 3 of these components, ignoring the other four. Gardner defined the 6th component, interpersonal intelligence, as the capacity to understand the intentions, motivations and desires of other people. The 7th component, intrapersonal intelligence he described as the capacity to understand oneself, to appreciate one’s own feelings, fears, and motivations. Together, the 6th and 7th components of intelligence constitute what we now call emotional intelligence (EQ). Opponents of the multiple-intelligence theory argued that the four additional factors added by Gardner are merely acquired skills rather than components of innate intelligence.
Did Albert Einstein have High or Low EQ (Emotional Intelligence)?
The following comments are based on the biographies of Albert Einstein by Walter Isaacson, Ronald Clark and Roger Highfield & Paul Carter, as well as the general lore exchanged in conversations and internet sources.
As one might expect, Einstein was a complex individual. Like most great intellects, he was an introvert, and although he enjoyed some of the public approbation he received, he did not actively seek public attention. When Chaim Weizmann, the first President of Israel died, Einstein was invited to become his successor. The revered scientist refused, stating that he lacked the natural aptitude for social interaction that would be required in such a political position.
Einstein’s relationships in his personal life were somewhat distant. He divorced his first wife, Mileva and his second wife, Elsa, served as a companion and gatekeeper, protecting him from visits from anyone except for a few colleagues. His relationship with his son, Hans was strained. In later life at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, he was lonely, and one of his only friends, Kurt Gödel was almost asocial. Einstein recognized in his later years, that his younger colleagues regarded him as past his prime and the very young colleagues befriended him to gain prominence through their association with his name.
Yet, Einstein had great insight into human motivations, once stating, “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” His insight into human nature and his observations made him somewhat bitter about life and when asked, “Dr. Einstein, do you believe in an afterlife?” he responded, “No, I’ve had one life and I don’t need another.”
If emotional intelligence is defined as “salesmanship” and marketing sense, then Einstein did not have that kind of emotional intelligence. However, he had a strong insight into human nature and probably had strong intrapersonal knowledge, i.e., he was in touch with his inner man.
