Why Emotional Intelligence Matters for Democracy

Table of Contents

Contents Summary Introduction: Democracy and the Emotional Life Thoughts, Behaviour and Emotions What Emotional Intelligence Is: A Brief History and Definition Why Emotional Intelligence Matters for Democracy The Limits of Current Emotional Intelligence Models A Broad Framework of Emotional Skills Intrinsic Goals Internal Perceptions External Perceptions Attitudes Internal Processing Internal Expression External Expression From Emotional Intelligence to Emotional Wisdom Emotional Skills and Democratic Culture Conclusion Appendix: Comprehensive Framework of Emotional Skills

Emotional intelligence matters at every level of our social lives. It matters in families and friendships, where people first learn how differences can be tolerated without domination. It matters in workplaces, neighbourhoods and civic organisations, where cooperation depends on trust, candour and the ability to navigate frustration without humiliation or contempt.

And it matters in public life. Those same capacities that help people function better in workplaces and families help in public service. It matters for democracy, because democracy depends on more than procedures. From the mundane to the mega-important, emotional intelligence determines how people make decisions together. It is the emotional capacities of both parties that make shared decision-making possible. Citizens and leaders alike need to be able to listen, tolerate disagreement, distinguish fear from fact, resist scapegoating, manage conflict, admit error, and balance self-interest with responsibility to others. Emotional maturity supports realism, restraint, responsibility and the common good—all essential characteristics for a public servant.
Without such capacities, formal democratic structures may remain in place while the culture needed to sustain them begins to weaken. Worse, emotional immaturity can turn politics into blame, theatrical certainty, grievance or manipulation. Leaders with major emotional shortcomings can wreak havoc on those they are supposed to serve.

As emotional-intelligence training benefits industry, I believe it can also enhance the service that politicians provide to the public. For that reason, this article is not simply about personal wellbeing. It is about the emotional conditions that help democracy remain humane, reality-based and capable of collective self-government.

Politicians are both our representatives and our leaders. To govern well requires the ability to hold and respect multiple opinions at once, to make choices that may not please everybody, and to balance competing needs without collapsing into fear, vanity, blame or emotional theatre. A prime minister, for example, must often take decisions under pressure while remaining answerable to the public, colleagues, opponents and reality itself. The greater the emotional intelligence of those in office, the better chance they have of serving the public well. Equally, the public who vote them in and hold them to account need to be able to recognise those whose emotional intelligence is high and merits trust, and those with emotional immaturity who should be avoided.

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