Dr. John D. Mayer | The Mind Society

Dr. John D. Mayer
Emotional & Personal Intelligences

Most of us have heard of the term "emotional intelligence". Having emotional intelligence (E.I.) means you have an attuned ability to perceive, control, and evaluate emotions from the people around you. The ability to express and control our emotions are vital; however, what about the ability to understand, interpret, and respond to the emotions of others? Therein lies what most of are striving towards. Being able to hone our perception, and thus response, to other people and their emotion-influenced behavior. Dr. Mayer, a faculty professor at the University of New Hampshire, is a preeminent expert in the field of emotional intelligence and personality psychology. He's worked with, now-President of Yale, Peter Salovey, along with David Caruso, on numerous studies to develop the idea of emotional intelligence. Until one day, the concept of E.I. took off.

Dr. Mayer explains that a Harvard grad and NYT journalist who wrote a book using his theories on emotional intelligence, in addition to the successful creation of the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT Scale), helped catapult the inevitable acceptance of the emotional intelligence concept globally. The MSCEIT test-takers perform tasks designed to assess their ability to perceive, identify, understand, and manage emotions. The results give clues into the level of EQ that these people have. A score some experts say can be more important than IQ towards the overall success of your life.

"One part of understanding ourselves is knowing our capacities in various different areas. That's one way of understanding ourselves and other people - through these intelligences."

Fast-forward many years, we find his research being heavily influenced by his interest in personality psychology; thus, birthing the notion of "people-centered intelligence", which is a combination of personal and emotional intelligence. Understanding the different types of intelligences promote problem-solving in regard to important life skills. During our conversation we discuss not only what lead up to the blossoming of emotional intelligence, but also personal and people-centered versions. We evolve our focus from simply mastering emotions but also the perception and interpretation of personalities along with the unique people they represent.

Listen to my conversation with Dr. Mayer below.

(Recorded June 2021.)