Getting to Know You

"We're really good at talking about material things, but we're really bad at talking about emotions. We're really good at talking about skills and safety and health; we're really bad at talking about character. Alasdair MacIntyre, the famous philosopher, said that, 'We have the concepts of the ancient morality of virtue, honor, goodness, but we no longer have a system by which to connect them.'"

New York Times columnist David Brooks uses a bit of humor to talk about a topic many avoid--humans as social creatures who are guided by our emotions. Talking about human nature and emotion can be difficult if you are not willing to open your mind and to be a bit vulnerable in the process. Humans are social creatures and emotions play a big part in our decision-making processes. Have you taken the time to know yourself--really know yourself and how your emotions provide a framework for the decisions you make?

Video Highlights

You are challenged to watch Brook's TedTalk video "The Social Animal" in its entirety. Here are a few highlights:

• "People learn from people they love."
• "Emotions are at the center of our thinking."
• "Reading and educating your emotions is one of the central activities of wisdom."
• "We're social animals, not rational animals. We emerge out of relationships, and we are deeply interpenetrated, one with another."

Growth Tools

• Mindsight - the ability to enter into other people's minds and learn what they have to offer.
• Equal poise - the ability to have the serenity to read the biases and failures in your own mind.
• Metis (street smarts) - The ability to pick out patterns in an environment.
• Blending - ability to blend concepts together
• Limerence - drive or motivation.