m e ns a i n te r n a ti on a l j o u r n a l

january 2012 issue number 556

emotional V critical intelligence

Is there such a thing as emotional intelligence? If so, how do emotional intelligence and critical intelligence differ? Do they work together? Are there two human brains? Two minds? Or is there a single brain/mind in which both emotional thinking and ratiocination synergically work as one? Firstly, some definitions are in order. Intelligence is defined in Websters New World Dictionary as the ability to acquire and retain knowledge. Furthermore, this acquired knowledge is used in solving our everyday problems and orchestrating our behavior. Emotional intelligence is a measure of the degree to which a person successfully (or unsuccessfully) applies sound judgment and reasoning to situations in the process of determining emotional or sentient situational responses. So then, this brings up another question: What is emotion? Websters New World Dictionary states that emotions are a part of consciousness that have to do with the arousal of feelings. The state of emotion is distinguished from other mental states; from cognition, from volition and from awareness of physical sensation (pleasant or unpleasant). Feeling may be a subjective reaction that is experienced in any given situation. Critical thinking relates to the symbiotic relationship between cognition (IQ) and emotional thinking (EQ). As a type of thinking, critical thinking is rational and reflective, and it is concerned with what to do and what to believe. Since our emotions and feelings are largely involved with our beliefs and our actions, rational-reflective thinking brings reason to bear upon our emotions. For example, I am fearful because I believe I am being threatened, and therefore I either attack my would-be assailant or flee. Critical intelligence and reflective critical thinking enable us to use our reasoning powers in order to appropriately address and direct our desires, feelings, emotions and actions. Our emotional functions do not precede our intellectual functions. That is, our emotional intelligence and our cognitive functions react concomitantly. And cognition is paramount in importance. Un-

by thomas hally
derstandable; after all, we are homini sapienti - and feminae sapientiae! Just as a person with the appropriate mathematical skill can effectively solve a problem in differential calculus, a person with a high degree of emotional intelligence will respond to situations with feelings that make good sense to a particular situation. Feeling states are our emotional compass, leading us along a course of reasonable behavior and action. In this sense, feeling states are motivational and motivation, volitions forerunner. Rational emotions translate into rational desires and rational behavior. But it is our thinking that ultimately suggests an action or creates a given emotional response to - and an evaluation of - a situation. A popular theory contends that
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from the Treasurer...

The following (see p02) is the presentation of the audited profit/loss statement and the balance sheet for the fiscal year ending 31 March 2011. Per ASIE, it is required that an abridged version of the audited financials are pubable upon request to me at Treasurer-Mil@mensa.org or to the MIL office at MensaInternational@mensa.org. lished each year. A geographical analysis of component payments and the list of administrative expenses is avail-

Respectfully submitted, Cyndi Kuyper Treasurer, Mensa International Ltd. 01

mensa international journal january 2012

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m e ns a i n te r n a ti on a l j o u r n a l
the human mind is comprised of at least three basic functions: cognition (thinking), feelings (emotion) and volition (will, drive). Cognition includes such mental activities such as analyzing, comparing, assuming, inferring, questioning, contrasting, evaluating, etc. In short, the cognitive function conceptualizes, rationalizes, reasons and solves problems. The feeling (or emotional) function of our mind is our internal monitor. It gives us feedback on our performance in any given circumstance or set of circumstances. Finally, volition (or will) is the third function of the mind. Although distinct from each other, these three basic mental functions work concomitantly and dynamically. Our thinking is that which will ultimately guide us in choosing some action or help us avoid a mistaken choice of action. In the last analysis, it is our thinking that prepares us for an emotional evaluation of a situation or set of circumstances. Every flaw in our emotion (feeling) and our drive (volition) creates a defect (disability) in our thinking and reasoning. When there are flaws, the basic functions of our mental activity no longer work effectively and efficiently. When there is a flaw in one or more of the three we literally cant think straight. Critical thinking enables us to form sound beliefs and make relatively correct judgments. The truly intelligent person is not a disembodied intellect functioning in an emotional wasteland, but a deeply committed mindful person, full of passion and high values, engaged in effective reasoning, sound judgment, and wise conduct. Finely- tuned critical thinking ability is our key for a happy and well-directed rational and emotional life. Tom Hally, tjh@thomas-hally.com
mensa international journal january 2012

brighter babies
COLUMBIA, Mo. New research from the University of Missouri indicates that at 10 months, babies start to understand another persons thought process, providing new insights on how humans acquire knowledge and how communication develops. Understanding other people is a key factor in successful communication, and humans start to understand this at a very young age, said Yuyan Luo, associate professor of developmental psychology in the MU College of Arts and Science. Our study indicates that infants, even before they can verbally communicate, can understand the thought processes of other people even if the thoughts diverge from what the infants know as truth, a term psychologists call false belief. During the study, infants were monitored during different trials of a common psychological test in which an actor indicated preference for certain objects. Researchers timed the infants gaze, which is an indication of infant knowledge. The infants watched longer when the actors preferences changed. This led the researchers to believe that infants understood how the actor interacted with the objects. When the actor did not witness the removal or addition of the preferred object, the infants seemed to use that information to interpret the persons actions, Luo said. The infants appear to recognize that the actors behavior comes from what the actor could see or could not see and hence what the actor thinks, and this finding is consistent with similar false belief studies that involve older children. Luo said her study is one of the first to explore the false belief understanding in the first year of life; evidence from other studies indicates that infant understanding could be present at an earlier age. As the research moves forward, Luo expects to find more understanding of how humans learn to communicate. In adults, beliefs guide behavior, but it would be difficult to explain another persons behavior without explaining his or her mental state, Luo said. The study, Do 10-month-old infants understand others false beliefs? is published in the journal Cognition. http://munews.missouri.edu/newsreleases/2011/1101-babies-understand-thought-process-of-others-atten-months-old-mu-research-find

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Log into the International website at www.mensa.org for the calendar of national events
April 27-29 in Niagara Falls, Ontario
Mensa Falls for Niagara
Four South-western Ontario Mensa groups have come together to plan this event. We have a website with info on our program: wwwso-mensa.org. People can register online there. We also have a Facebook Group, Mensa RG 2012 where we will post late-breaking news. People dont have to be registered for the event to join the Facebook Group. Its intended as a meeting place for people interested in our event who would like to connect with other Mensans.

officer directory
Chair: Mr Willem Bouwens Trompenburgstraat 6-G, 1079 TX Amsterdam The Netherlands chairman-mil@mensa.org Tel: +31 (0)20 661 2718 Director Admin: Ms Sylvia Herbert 16 Farley St, St Johns, Worcester, Worcestershire WR2 6JD England admin-mil@mensa.org Tel: +44(0)1905 422231 Director Development: Ms Bibiana Balanyi Mensa HungarIQa, H-1426 Budapest 72, Postafiok 99 Hungary development-mil@mensa.org Tel: +36 209 135175 Treasurer: Cyndi Kuyper 2606 Henderson St, West Lafayette, IN 47906-1537 Tel: +1 765 463 1393 Cell Phone: +1 765 714 2272 treasurer-mil@mensa.org Dir. Smaller National Mensas: Mr Bjrn Liljeqvist Knektvgen 1, 196 30 Kungsngen, Sweden +46 (0) 730 394199 Hon. President: Dr Abbie Salny 407 Breckenridge, Wayne NJ 07470 USA Tel: +1 973 305 0055 SIGHTCoordinator: Mr Richard Kingston SIGHT@mensa.org Int. SIG Coordinator: Mr Markus Schauler sigs@mensa.org Ombudsman:Mr Martyn Davies ombudsman@mensa.org Executive Director: Mr Michael Feenan, Slate Barn, Church Lane, Caythorpe, Lincolnshire NG32 3EL, UK Tel/Fax+44(0)1400272 675 mensainternational@mensa.org Editorial Staff Editor: Ms Kate Nacard 407/23 Corunna Rd, Stanmore NSW 2048 Australia ijeditor@mensa.org Tel: +61 2 9516 1024 Science: Mr John Blinke, Johnb44221@cs.com Books: Mr Tom Elliott, tme01@verizon.net Feature Articles: Mr Thomas Hally, tjh@thomas-hally.com
The Mensa International Journal (MIJ) is produced under the auspices of the Mensa International Board of Directors. Pages 1-4 of each issue of the MIJ must be published in every national Mensa magazine. Publication of pages 5-8 is recommended but optional. Opinions expressed in the MIJ are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of any other individual or any official Mensa body. Submission Guidelines: Language: English only. Text: MS Word (Windows), .rtf (Word/Mac), plain text, PageMaker (Windows) Length: 500 word limit. Send by e-mail, fax, snail mail to the Editor. The Editor reserves the right to include or edit submissions for space and content considerations. All unoriginal submissions must be accompanied by written permission for publication from the original author.Permission is granted for MIJ articles to be reprinted in any Mensa publication provided that the author, MIJ and MIJs editor are acknowledged. Permission must be sought from the MIJ editor for reprinting of any part of the MIJ in non-Mensa publications. mensa international journal january 2012

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