IQ versus EQ

Summer recess is over. The school bell has rung. It’s reading, writing and arithmetic time once again. Back to the academics on which professionals base our head knowledge rightly termed our IQ – Intelligence Quotient.

Thankfully, psychologists have made, what they call, “new discoveries” in the area of intelligence. It is based on how well we respond and make decisions in regard to ourselves, life circumstances and others. These people know how to act instead of react to the merries and the miseries of daily life. According to experts employers prefer these employees to those who have a high IQ. These sought after employees possess a good outlook on life and think optimistically.

This newly discovered intelligence, which these people have, is called EQ – Emotional Quotient. My mother called it, “Good Old Common Sense”.

Mom’s formal education ended at Grade 4. However, her common sense approach to life was measureless and could be summed up in a number of slogans. Little sayings which still echo in my heart.

Many times when I would be upset with the coolness or offensive behaviour of a friend mom would console me with, “maybe she’s having a bad day” or “we mustn’t judge someone until we’ve walked in their moccasins”.

When problems arose I’d hear, “Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill” and, “let a smile be you’re umbrella”. On other occasions it would be “make the best of a bad situation”.

Mom and dad knew financial hardship, so hard that my mother raffled off some of their wedding gifts to buy food. Consequently, whenever I talked about borrowing money, her advise was, “only buy what you can afford”.

Mom believed that a cheerful expression somehow eased life’s sorrows. Therefore, despite life’s difficulties, she practiced my favorite cliché, “You’re never fully dressed without a smile”.

Indeed, school’s back in and no matter what our IQ’s tell us, common sense says, “all will be well” if we, “keep on the bright side of life”.  

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