As most people know today, emotional intelligence is a real thing. There are courses that are taught about it and many books have been written about it. It is no longer enough to just be intellectually ‘smart’—it has also become important to be self-aware and to be able to handle our emotions in healthy ways.

What we’re seeing, however, is that there seems to be an increase in world leaders who don’t hold those values in high esteem. Perhaps the US’s most self-aware and emotionally intelligent leader is on his way out of office soon, to be replaced predominantly by men who bully and feel they have a right to behave this way. This is a terribly unhealthy message to send to children especially, who need to be taught the exact opposite. Today, we are seeing a great many more people, both in the US and in Canada where I live, who don’t seem to know how to disagree without being disagreeable—one of the hallmarks of emotional intelligence. For myself and for many others, this feels like a very scary situation. [Read more…]