Emotional intelligence determines destiny

Author: Yang Yihong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: Have you noticed in life that when we see a group of children chasing and playing, we often unconsciously observe and judge: "This child is articulate and quick-witted, full of a certain kind of spirit, and looks very smart; that child is slow and dull, looks lifeless, and seems a bit stupid." What we commonly refer to as "smart" or "stupid" usually refers to a person's "intelligence." Traditional perspectives have always believed that IQ represents intelligence. If a child's IQ test results are high, parents feel like they've received a reassurance: "Our child is smart; he will definitely have a promising future!" Conversely, parents often frown and worry about their child's future. So, is IQ equivalent to a person's level of intelligence? Does a high IQ necessarily lead to success? The answer is not necessarily.
There was a student whose academic performance was poor, always "getting red lights." So, the parents had him take an intelligence test, and the conclusion was that his IQ was low. However, it was discovered that apart from his less-than-ideal academic performance, the child was not necessarily unintelligent in other areas and was even somewhat "clever" in certain aspects. After a professional evaluation by a doctor, it turned out that the child suffered from mild ADHD. Besides class, the child had exceptional hands-on skills. In various extracurricular interest classes organized by the school, he often came up with "small inventions," some of which even earned praise from the teachers. After leaving school, he achieved outstanding results in the field of design.
Another example is from Wang Anshi's "Injury to Zhong Yong," which tells the following story: Zhong Yong was once a famous prodigy, and by the age of five, he had never seen writing tools but suddenly cried for them. His father, feeling surprised, borrowed some from a neighboring household. He immediately wrote four lines of poetry and signed his name. From then on, whenever someone asked him to compose a poem about a specific object, he could complete it instantly. He was not only quick-witted but also exceptionally talented in writing, and the people in his county were amazed. Some even offered money and gifts for him to write poems. His father, seeing an opportunity for profit, took Zhong Yong around to visit people in the county every day, showing off his talent in front of them while neglecting to nurture his abilities. As a result, by the time Zhong Yong grew up, his talent completely vanished, making him no different from an ordinary person.
Zhong Yong's high IQ was evident from a young age, but due to lack of cultivation, he ultimately lost his abilities and became no different from an ordinary person. Meanwhile, the child who appeared to have a lower IQ achieved success, breaking the traditional mindset that judges success solely based on IQ.
American psychologists have conducted research on the relationship between IQ and success. They tracked dozens of outstanding high school graduates from a school in Illinois. These students had the highest average IQ (i.e., language and logical analytical abilities) in the school and also had excellent academic performance. However, most of them showed average performance by the time they were nearly 30. Ten years after graduation, only one-quarter of them reached the highest level in their respective fields at their age, and many performed even worse than their peers.
Karen Aron, a Boston University professor who participated in this research, pointed out in response to the survey results: "When you see a valedictorian, the only thing you know for sure is that he or she did well on exams. And when you see a high-IQ individual, the only thing you know is that he or she performed well on certain intelligence tests designed by psychologists. But we cannot accurately predict their future success or failure."
Indeed, IQ tests can, to some extent, predict a child's academic performance. But can academic performance be the only measure of future success? While IQ can reflect some aspects of human intelligence, does it represent a person's entire intelligence? If not, then what is the most powerful factor influencing success? Based on long-term research, psychologists have proposed another term—emotional intelligence (EQ). P6-8