Originally posted by Taupin Desciple

I know that the majority of the public schools here in the U.S. don't really focus on this aspect of education, as in they don't take this facet of learning and incorporate it into their curriculum,

Actually, many states do have a social component in their curriculums. The problem is that there simply isn't time to teach social skills adequately. Why? Standardized testing.

Which do you think is more important? Social ( Business) intelligence or emotional ( personal) intelligence?

Both are important. Depends on your personal life goals.

Can you excel at one without being adept at the other?

Absolutely. I've known folks with great business sense who lack social skills, and vice versa. Just like some people are great with math, others with languages, still others with physical endeavors.

[Have you known someone who has excelled in business yet didn't excel on a personal level?

Yes. The person I'm thinking of you might consider a "lone wolf" type.

Have you known someone who has excelled in their personal understandings of people yet is not a professional success?

Again, yes. But I don't think its just that they aren't good at professionalism so much as they lacked true interest in their career choice.

You might be interested in the work of Dr. Becky Bailey. She is the founder of Conscious Discipline, a program designed for schools and individuals. Basically, CD helps people become aware (conscious) of their thinking and emotional processes, and learn how to respond appropriately. I've used this in my classroom and at home for the last three years, and its an amazing program. It's also helped me tremendously in my own life. You can find out more by visiting her website www.lovingguidance.com

S&F

What an excellent thread.

Yeah, some schooling on emotional intelligence would have been great when I was knee-high to a cricket. This prompted me to do a casual sample of current Early Child Education curricula at a few middle-of-the-road colleges. I found it encouraging to see that child guidance is heavily emphasized. I also noticed a trend toward addressing the effects of social media and pop culture on young students.

It becomes a balancing act, I would imagine, for how much slack the teachers take up on the E.Q. front when the child has a difficult homelife.