Golden nuggets - Does reading for five minutes prime your emotional intelligence?
Ruth Pearce
?? International Speaker ?? Enterprise Coach ?? Workplace Mental Health - Addressing the Elephant in the Room ?? Go from thinking to doing & dreaming to being ??
After reading Atomic Habits by James Clear several years ago on a recommendation from Andy Kaufman , I am a big proponent of incremental change. It works for getting things done and it works for coming back from burnout. Incremental change works. I use that approach in coaching, in my business and beyond!
New readings
So in every book I read, I look for golden nuggets. Small actionable activities that can help me and others learn, grow, make progress, feel better, create contentment, whatever it might be. Reminded by Robert Biswas-Diener and Christian van Nieuwerburgh that old books don't mean useless books, I have been dipping back into some books that are more than two years old!
This holiday my friend and colleague Lisle Baker sent me two such interesting reads. The first is the Good Lawyer by Douglas Linder and Nancy Levit and in that book on page 22 I found my first nugget.
Referencing an article in the 纽约时报 by Pam Belluck which explored the popular idea that reading literary fiction could make us more emotionally sensitive (intelligent). Sadly, since the publication of the book and the original research, more than just the theory has been discredited. However, I am curious to know what others think.
When you read literary fiction - not just popular formulaic fiction, but the type of fiction that leaves much to the imagination and describes complex characters - does it help you to understand and maybe even read people better?
I like this theory because it aligns with the work that Geoff Crane has been doing around emotional, social and motivational intelligence. To achieve goals we need to engage our imagination. To consider how others might be feeling, we need to engage our imagination and so on...
Here is a way to test out the theory for yourself.
Three steps in three days
Step 1: Take an assessment based on reading facial expressions. This one from the The Greater Good Science Center caught my attention.
Wait a couple of days - otherwise you will likely remember the answers to the quiz!
领英推荐
Step 2: read a short piece of literary fiction. Not sure where to find such a thing - well here is a link to some examples. All quick but thought provoking reads by recognized scribes. I wish there were more examples of literary works by non-white people! I will keep looking.
Step 3: Take the assessment based on facial expressions again and compare your scores.
This is not the most scientific experiment - and I am not claiming that it is a basis for measuring the applicability of the theory, but I found it an interesting exercise nonetheless.
Let me know what you discover in the comments.
What is the other book you may be asking yourself... Beyond Reason by Roger Fisher and Daniel Shapiro . Watch this space for more on the "Core Concerns"
______________________________________________________________________
In addition to speaking about human skills in?#projectmanagement , and?#Linkedinlearning ?instructor, Ruth Pearce ?is a coach and speaker. Want to find out more about working with her?
Book a chemistry call here:?Ruth Pearce Calendar
__________________________________________________________________________
Human Resources Consultant - Snohomish County Central HR
1 年Wow! Now I'm intrigued! I am a voracious reader (mostly fiction) and a 'wanna-be' writer/author --- and now I wonder if those traits and habits have an influence on my level of emotional intelligence? By reading, we put ourselves into different lives and different situations; by writing, we create different lives and different situations --- perhaps increasing our perception and ability to adapt to different individuals, thoughts, emotions, and situations. SO Interesting! PS: highly recommend reading Charles Dickens if you're looking for examples of full character description. He can narrate the exact pattern of lace that was sewn into a character's bodice as well as why that specific lace was chosen by the wearer. ??
Student at Cambrian College
1 年Hi , I read article and wanted to take the time to respond to some of the questions within the article When you read - not just popular formulaic fiction, but the type of fiction that leaves much to the imagination and describes complex characters - does it help you to understand and maybe even read people better? For myself i can honestly say I have never read books such as F. Scott Fitzgerald's This Side of Paradise. James Baldwin's Giovanni's Room. Stephen Crane's The Open Boat. Richard Ford's The Sportswriter. Joyce Carol Oates's Do With Me What You Will. Edward P. Jones's The Known World I have always been a visual/audio reader meaning I like to hear stories to hear people's words mind you i have never really been a fan of movies nor the actors yes I would agree that it does open a individuals imagination mind you i can also say I am a very creative person when it comes to imagination and wonder , Does this help me to describe the complex characters ? i would have to respond with depends on how much detail and characteristics I am being asked to analyze as far as reading people go i would honestly have to answer No Mind you i have ?Met Different Personality Types Before
Project Management & Leadership Keynote Speaker, Author, & Coach, Podcast Host. We help you learn how to lead & deliver.
1 年Hi friend! I've heard mixed results with replicating priming experiments. But when I interviewed Robert Cialdini about his influence books, he mentioned that he finds "where" he writes impacts "how" he writes. For example, he found writing from a coffee shop to be different from an elegant setting on a university campus. Would I be influenced after reading a particularly emotional passage from a book? I could see it happening--at least for a small window of time. Beyond your main point, I love your reminder that "old" books doesn't mean "useless"! Happy New Year!
I wondered if it is required that you have emotions to have emontional intelligence or lack thereof? Asking for a friend.