Schools Are Obsessed with How Their Students Rank Compared with Others

Schools are obsessed with how their students rank compared with others.

But there have been many studies that show IQ only accounts for about 20% of our success. The major attributes of success are our social and emotional intelligence. Yet there is very little emphasis put on emotional intelligence. Only a handful of schools have any formal programs that address emotional intelligence.

Daniel Goleman says, "People with well-developed emotional skills are also more likely to be content and effective in their lives, mastering the habits of the mind that foster their own productivity; people who cannot marshal some control over their emotional life fight battles that sabotage their ability for focused work and clear thought."

We have an emotional mind and a rational mind. In large part, our emotional mind developed to help us survive.

Our emotional intelligence has such a large impact on our success in life, it is important that we fully develop our emotional skills. 

1. It has been said that your IQ can land you a job but your lack of EQ can get you fired. Your IQ only accounts for 20% of your success in life. Your emotional intelligence and social intelligence are much greater determinants of the success you will achieve in life.

2. Delayed gratification is the top predictor of future success. People who are able to pay the price today and delay the rewards are much more likely to succeed in life. Unfortunately we have become a nation seeking instant gratification.

3. Our emotional skills have a direct and important bearing on our relationships with others. We need to understand our feelings, where they come from and how to properly express them.

4. If our lives are filled with stress, our physical health suffers. It has been estimated that well over 80% of our health problems are stress related. We experience stress primarily because we are not comfortable emotionally. We need to understand the link between our emotional health and our...