Trigger Warning: There will be no more trigger warnings, so proceed with caution if you tend to take things personally or get your feelings hurt easily.

We are taught to be compassionate, which is a good thing, and there has been a lot of attention paid to the benefits of emotional intelligence in the last decade.

I agree for the most part, as a lack of empathy is associated with psychopathy (research on the difference between cognitive and affective aspects) and narcissism (narcissists use cognitive empathy against their victims) but I have to wonder…

Are we (society) exchanging emotional intelligence for rational thought? To put it another way…

Is society better off catering to feelings over facts and logic?

Which is more beneficial, empathy and a respect for feelings, or adherence to logical facts?

A healthy society respects both.

We cannot establish understanding between individuals without both logic and empathy, but even with both of these, there must be a crucial third element to establish trust, and that is authenticity.

Authenticity is a narcissist’s biggest fear, and there is a modern trend toward self-delusion as a result of self-obsession (thank you social media) that actually makes people LESS self-aware.

So how can we all hold ourselves accountable to be more authentic, empathetic and logical?

We need to show up as our true flawed selves, respect facts, and acknowledge the feelings of others, admitting that we are all equals, and in need of grace while doing this honest work.

“But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”

Source: https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/2-Timothy/3/13

We all know of these deceivers who are actively deceiving others and themselves (it’s their full-time job) but how do we accurately gauge how we are doing ourselves?

• Authenticity: Are you asking and listening to feedback from others, or are you constantly trying to control the situation and manage your perfect self-image? Unsure? Take the quiz.
• Empathy: Are you empathetic to the feelings and experiences of others? Ask your friends/family. Unsure? Take the quiz.
• Logic/Facts: Are you logical in your thinking and examine the evidence no matter where the facts come from or take you? Take the quiz.

We are all on the spectrum with these, and each quiz is just a simple self-assessment, so don’t take them too seriously, but be honest in your self-assessment. We can all do better.

💗Wishing you Amazing Love & Authentic Living
More articles at https://goodadvice4life.blogspot.com/.