In Part 1 of this article, we discussed why IQ is most certainly NOT the best indicator of long-term success and explained why EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE (EQ) plays such a critical role, perhaps more important than IQ.

But why are we giving so much importance to IQ and knowledge of data and so little to EQ and our capacity to truly grasp (understand) the wider implications of that which we know?

Because we are obsessed with the mind. Our education systems are designed to fill our minds with data. We falsely believe that information is power. Try this: Give your cat all the information in the world and see what difference it makes to it daily occupations.

None. Why? Because, as Einstein pointed out, “any fool can know. The point is to understand.” And to truly understand something we need to combine brain intellect with emotional intelligence and give it a spiritual interpretation. I’m moving very fast through very complex subjects, so anyone wishing to examine in-depth explanations, please revert to my books.

Here’s an all-important truth, which many so-called experts simply do not or cannot grasp:

The process of so-called “successful living” necessarily requires a HOLISTIC APPROACH; it requires that we combine our body, emotions, mind, and spirit. We are only as strong as our weakest link and in today’s society (I propose) our weakest link is emotional intelligence.

Jordan Peters points out in his talk on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m91vhePuzdo&t=354s, that IQ is the most accurate predictor of long-term life success. More specifically, he says, the tests performed by the US military demonstrate that for more simple jobs, the IQ predicts how fast you will learn the new skill, but not how well you will perform. But for more complex jobs the best predictor is the general cognitive ability (IQ).

Here’s an example of how truth is twisted and manipulated.

Peterson goes on to say that the military concluded, that anyone with IQ lower than 83, “could not be trained for anything in the military that wasn’t counterproductive.” He then points out that 10% of the general population have an IQ below 10% and thus, he concludes, for 10% of the people in the USA there are NO suitable JOBS.

What??? Think about this! Just before that Peterson said that IQ tests accurately measure and apply only to complex job performances, but not to simple jobs. Then in a matter of a minute, he goes from “no jobs in the military” to “there isn’t anything for the 10% of the population to do.”

How misleading is that? And this is a man who spends his life “teaching” and commands the attention of millions. In the same video, Peterson also says, that the IQ claims are correct because they are more psycho-metrically rigorous than any other phenomena that have been discovered by social scientists. Then goes on to conclude that these tests are the best “things” we have, although they leave (if I understood him correctly) some 70% to 80% of the story unexplained! Sorry, by this point he lost me, as I can only absorb a certain amount of contradictory info.

To summarize my personal experience in J. Peterson style:

NO, IQ tests are NOT “the best” indicators we have for long-term success, and NO, they do NOT credibly predict long-term success in life. (you have to imagine me speaking out loud and look like I know what I’m talking about).

Theirs is so much more research we could/should do, before making important claims about human traits and how they affect social structures. For example, let’s put 100 people with high IQ and another 100 people with high EQ into challenging environments and see who fares better. Sure, engineering and technically demanding jobs require higher IQ. But to succeed in life? I mean, success is relative, right?

Who is more successful: A stockbroker, who earns millions, but spends 18 hours a day under extreme stress, and is a health wreck by the age of 40, or a simple family person, who works at the local store and earns enough money and has enough time to pursue her or his interests?

A SUMMARY:

On an average day, we face FAR MORE emotional challenges than we face intellectually demanding challenges. Furthermore, based on my personal experience, my EQ challenges were far more crucial to my overall success in life than my IQ challenges. That could be the reason I performed poorly at school but was so successful at fulfilling my life goals and desires.

Do you still remember your class-mates with high IQ? If they also had strong social skills, then they likely grew into responsible and also successful individuals. But remember the real geniuses, the weird, unsociable, but highly clever students, who effortlessly spat out the most complicated math solutions or made sense of very complex logistical or spatial challenges? Where are they today? How far can one get in a modern society with high IQ, but lack of emotional intelligence?

Sure, I’m also pouring water on my own convictions here, but if you understand what I’m proposing in this article, then you will understand my frustration with listening to so-called experts, who with all their wisdom and good intentions, are inflicting unnecessary frustration and pain upon our individual and collective consciousness.

Nobody wants to be told that they are deficient or insufficient in some way, especially when data is inconclusive. Yes, we should be able to address all issues openly and sincerely, but it’s irresponsible to promote certain scientific facts as all-defining precursors of success in life when we live in highly complex systems and still have so much to learn.

I truly feel that a large proportion of our dysfunctional behavior originates from our obsession with the mind. In short, these days we know a lot, but understand very little. Information is NOT power! Power comes from our individual and collective capacity to handle data responsibly, efficiently and for some meaningful purpose. I call this the process of Responsible co-creation and it constitutes the main thread of my books about Who We Are.

You only need to look at politics to note we lack understanding about Who We Are. As a result, emotional turmoil is an ever-present reality of our daily lives and currently, we have 2 solutions (treatments) available:

1. Psychologists
2. pharmaceutical drugs

Perhaps it’s no surprise, that according to the Mayo Clinic report, 7 in 10 Americans take prescription drugs, and the use of antidepressants is skyrocketing. Furthermore, almost half of American households have someone seeking mental health treatment, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. And according to Time Magazine, a Harris 2017 poll found that only a third of Americans said they were happy.

What do psychologists and pharma drugs have in common? Neither specializes in PREVENTION, but instead, get paid for TREATING THE EFFECTS. Likewise, claiming that IQ is the best precursor for determining long-term success is to make conclusions based on the EFFECTS, but without understanding the CAUSES.

But let’s stop criticizing and propose some solutions, Consider this:

Psychologists possess an amazing knowledge of our human psyche. Why don’t we move them into EDUCATION, so they can teach how to PREVENT emotional turmoil, rather than treat the effects? Peterson, who’s a clinical psychologist, is in effect doing this and his success just goes to show that people are hungry to learn about the Self.

How about this: How many successful Americans from ethnic minorities did we encounter one hundred years ago? How many do we encounter today? Why such an increase? Is it because their IQ increased or because a higher percentage of them enjoy BETTER LIVING STANDARDS and greater ACCESS TO EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES?