Q. What is ‘emotional intelligence’ and how can it be developed in people? How does it help an individual in making ethical decisions? (10 marks | 150 words)

Answer:

Approach:

  • Introduction: Define emotional intelligence.
  • Body: 
    • Mention how Emotional intelligence can be developed.
    • Explain how it helps an individual in making ethical decisions.
  • Conclusion: Conclude with the way forward and relevance in life of Public servant. 

 

Introduction:

Emotional intelligence is the ability to channelize emotions for constructive purposes. It must be known that emotional intelligence is not the opposite of intelligence. It is not the triumph of heart over head, rather, the unique intersection of both.

Body:

How Emotional intelligence be developed?

  • Effective Communication: An effective communication can help people to develop better strategies and increase their efficiency by synchronizing their efforts. By motivating others to communicate how they feel, can help them to know themselves better.
  • Training to adapt: People should be able to adapt to changing circumstances. This can be achieved by training to manage different situations. Ability to understand and manage their emotions and of those around them help emotionally intelligent leaders to navigate through difficult circumstances.
  • Taking responsibility: Taking responsibility for one’s actions is a part of emotional intelligence. One must develop courage to accept his/her deeds. This enables a person to better accept his/her faults and work upon them ultimately leading to emotional intelligence.
  • Self-awareness: Self-awareness ability allows an individual to know his/her strengths and weaknesses. This helps in managing emotions through using his/her strengths and working upon weaknesses.
  • Developing Empathy: Having empathy is critical to understand and manage emotions of other people. Ability to recognize others’ emotions help individuals to act accordingly. It helps them to understand their colleagues’ feelings and perspectives, which enables them to communicate and collaborate more effectively with their peers.

How does it help an individual in making ethical decisions?

  • Almost from the beginning, the decision-making experts were encouraged to think that making decisions is a rational process involving facts and analysis. However, in reality decisions are acts of judgment made by people. These judgments are shaped and formed in our brain, through processes that are just now being understood. In fact, in many instances, the real driver of our actions is our emotions. 
  • Many experts and empirical studies warn decision-makers about the perils of making decisions when one is emotionally aroused. The important thing here is not the presence of emotions, but the way in which the individuals interpret and deal with emotions.
  • When an individual appropriately deals with emotions, he/she is able to make better decisions. The more skilled a person is in dealing with his/her emotions, the more likely that person is to make more correct and ethical decisions. When emotions are elicited in any decision-making process, they are processed by abilities included under emotional intelligence. Decisions involve the use of cognitions and emotions in varying amounts.
  • For example, when faced with a situation eliciting intense anger, a person could make an unethical decision prompted by that anger, rather than going through a rational, multi-step process. Take example of law enforcement agencies. When faced with a hostile environment, they may commit revengeful acts.

Conclusion:

In the civil services, therefore, emotional intelligence is beneficial to manage the emotions in a manner that will be helpful to achieve productive outcomes. High-EI individuals, therefore, could reduce the effects of negative emotions like anger or rage on their decision-making. Rage and anger are not only removed as hindrances, but also used to enhance the quality of decisions. Therefore, emotionally intelligent civil services could result in better decisions especially when more negative emotions accompany decisions.

 

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UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format
Integration of PYQ within the booklet
Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions
हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध

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