Scientific+American+Mind+20190304

(Marty) #1

you have set out for yourself, it makes sense that be-
ing able to manage your emotions in the service of a
larger goal will be associated with well-being and
self-actualization.
Perhaps the most important analysis will turn out to
be how IQ and emotional intelligence interact. There is
some evidence that in certain contexts, emotional in-
telligence can amplify the effectiveness of a high IQ,
and high emotional intelligence can even compensate
for a lower IQ. Future research should definitely look
more closely at the interaction between these two im-
portant aspects of human intelligence.
Of course, it’s possible that the findings operate in
reverse causation, and being happier increases intel-
lectual skills. Most likely, both directions are at play in
the correlations found in the study. Clearly more re-
search will need to look at the association between
intelligence and well-being over time.
At any rate, I’m pleased to see that this line of re-
search is being conducted. I believe a great responsi-
bility we have as a society is to ensure that all people—
regardless of their IQ score—are able to self-actualize
and lead a life of self-acceptance, autonomy, meaning
and positive social relationships.
*It should be noted that IQ and emotional intelli-
gence were moderately correlated with each other.
This suggests that both tests are tapping into a com-
mon set of processes (e.g., executive functioning,
working memory, etc.), even though IQ and emotional
intelligence also involve a partially different set of
skills.
†The researchers provided this more detailed


analysis of well-being upon my request.

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