EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND "MANO IZQUIERDA"

 

Daniel Goleman published Emotional Intelligence in 1995, a landmark in the history of pop psychology and how to deal with others. It focuses on how to restrain and master our emotions when dealing with others to have the upper hand in our social and professional lives. I read it at the time and profited from it somehow—I have a short temper. But all told, Mr. Goleman did not come to invent anything new, only to point it out and explain it in detail. Why so? The Spanish language has been using a saying or expression that compresses Mr. Goleman's book into a nutshell: mano izquierda. The DRAE explains: "Habilidad o astucia para manejarse o resolver situaciones difíciles." María Moliner defines mano izquierda as "Habilidad para manejarse."  Manuel Seco's Dictionary is straight and to the point: "Habilidad diplomática." Further still, Diccionario de uso del español de América y España says: "Habilidad que tiene una persona para manejar o resolver un asunto con tacto." A simple phrase expresses the idea enclosed in a book. Debemos tener mano izquierda con nuestros asuntos privados y públicos. I rest my case.