What is emotional intelligence? Well often it means the ability to keep your mouth shut, don’t tell anyone what you really think, that way your mouth won’t get you into trouble. Is that really good advice? Maybe for worker bees, but not for entrepreneurs, creative folks or presidents it seems.

Would that have been good advice for Donald Trump? No, because had he kept his mouth shut and never used Twitter to say what he really means, he’d have never become president and probably wouldn’t have become a billionaire or made the Apprentice the number one Reality TV Show. See what I mean? Let’s talk, just in case your mind can’t comprehend the EQ or Emotional Intelligence scam.

Ask any college student today about what they can and cannot say – every student knows that you have to agree with the professor to get a good grade even if you find his, hers, or its political rhetoric delusional or complete lunacy. Where do we draw the line between Emotional IQ and giving up one’s own mind to submit to authority?

What about on the authority side? What about the boss, manager, politician, owner of the company or the coach of a team? Many management books describe the “art of delegation” and the importance of Emotional IQ in getting underlings to perform at optimal for you. You are taught the psychology of leading people, getting them to serve your will. In other words, Emotional IQ becomes the manipulation of your fellow, albeit lesser (?) humans? Great, now I’ve heard it all.

So, where did this notion of emotional IQ come from? Well, many believe the term was originally coined by multiple intelligence theorist Howard Gardner. It turns out that is not the case, one search on Google reveals:

“Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer coined the term ‘Emotional Intelligence’ in 1990 describing it as ‘a form of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use this information to guide one’s thinking and action’.”

Of course, this sounds a lot like empathy doesn’t it? The definition of Empathy is: The ability to understand and share the feelings of another. This is something that nearly all humans can do, and despite popular believe so too can other species, such as Chimpanzees, Elephants, Dolphins and other higher order mammals.

What I am saying is this, much of this Emotional IQ theme is just getting you to submit to authority, or to learn to get other’s to submit to yours, while you submit to those above you. The only problem with all this is; if you are not the lead dog, the view never changes. So think on that for a moment if you will.