Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2006

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Download PDF

Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 1, Chapters 1-3

Part 1, Chapters 4-6

Part 2, Chapters 7-9

Part 3, Chapters 10-12

Part 4, Chapters 13-15

Part 5, Chapters 16-18

Part 6, Chapters 19-21

Key Figures

Themes

Index of Terms

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Background

Authorial Context: Daniel Goleman

Daniel Goleman, an internationally renowned psychologist, science journalist, and best-selling author, is known for his original work on the topics of emotional and social intelligence and their roles in addressing fundamental flaws in society.

In 1984, Goleman began work as a regular contributor to The New York Times, where he worked on science journalism for 12 years. In the 2000s, when Social Intelligence was published, Goleman was already a passionate advocate for education reform, specifically seeking to help schools foster emotional intelligence in students. He argued that teaching students to understand and manage their own emotions would have drastic positive impacts on society. Additionally, he advocated for greater emphasis on emotional intelligence in corporate leadership as a way to ensure success. In Social Intelligence, published in 2006, he further explored how greater emotional and social intelligence would benefit human society and culture. He specifically posited that a person with emotional intelligence and mastery over their own emotions would still find themselves failing without the crucial social skills needed to work effectively with others.

Goleman went on to write several more books on psychology and sociology, mindfulness, environmentalism, creativity, and effective leadership. Goleman has established himself as an authority on the topics of human behavior, emotional intelligence, and personal and community well-being.

Goleman’s work has influenced numerous educational systems and organizations to increase emotional and social intelligence in theory as well as in practice. Goleman continues to hold lectures and workshops on the subject of social intelligence.

Critical Context: The Influence of Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence

Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence, when first published in 1995, represented a significant paradigm shift in the psychological and social science fields. Before Goleman’s work, IQ (intelligence quotient) was widely seen as the main predictor of an individual’s future success. School curricula were often based around improving standardized test scores, and students were often sorted by their perceived potential based solely on such scores. In Emotional Intelligence, Goleman argues that future success actually relies on far more than perceived intellectual potential and that focusing solely on IQ is harmful to students in the long run. Goleman posits that teaching healthy emotional management is imperative to ensuring success since it predicts individuals’ ability to use their intelligence through emotional mastery.

Emotional Intelligence climbed The New York Times Best Seller list and stayed there for more than a year, with more than five million copies in print worldwide. Emotional Intelligence was also named one of the 25 “Most Influential Business Management Books” by TIME.

In the book, Goleman argues that individuals with higher emotional intelligence tend to have better psychological health, lower levels of stress, and greater resilience. By understanding and managing their emotions effectively, individuals can cultivate self-awareness, emotional balance, and overall mental well-being. Goleman emphasizes the importance of empathy and emotional awareness in building healthy relationships. Individuals with high emotional intelligence can understand and respond to the emotions of their partners, friends, and family members, leading to connection, communication, and trust.

Emotional Intelligence set the stage for Social Intelligence to be published about 10 years later, expanding on the importance of emotional intelligence as a tool not only to recognize and master one’s internal world but also to engage fully and successfully with others. Social Intelligence expands on the previous book’s discussion of the neurobiology of the human brain, showing how the brain is structured to observe, communicate, and engage with others.