Game Theory & EQ

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is not social performance; EQ comes from cognitive discipline and deep analytical self-awareness. These are usually things attributed to IQ.

Ironically, many of the people who criticize others for lacking EQ are the ones with low EQ themselves. Their emotional, maternal, or paternal tone reveals it. Instead of disarming the other person or finding common terms through controlled emotional understanding, they put others on the defensive to create authority for themselves.

In Game Theory, that’s an early defection as an attempt to gain advantage at the cost of cooperation. Smart people detect it immediately. In the end, they become the very thing they accuse others of: or, the cat calling the kettle black.