Preventing alienation and social disorder with “Emotional Logic”

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report on eight years of piloting an innovative, practical, lifelong learning intervention that improves emotional intelligence in families, schools, communities and workplaces in a unique way: each person gains insights to adjust constructively together to disappointments. “Emotional Logic” identifies a root cause in accumulating complex loss reactions that produces the destructive behaviour, self‐centredness and vengefulness seen in riots and other distress and tension reactions.Design/methodology/approach“Emotional Logic” is a teachable language technology, with a set of tools that safely maps emotional chaos. From this mapping, a learning plan is generated that guides self‐help action and improves communication at the right emotional level to promote co‐operation between people and prevent recurrences of distress reactions.FindingsAn outline of the wide range of piloting studies is given. Self‐respect, honesty, empathy and the capacity to make realistic decisions rapidly improve, leading to personal development with unpredictable outcomes.Practical implicationsTraining for front‐line staff, managers and redundant health and social care workers could produce leaders for community‐based “Emotional Logic Learning Clubs” within nine months.Social implicationsMany young people cover a sense of shame and anxiety with bravado, or they withdraw into an existential depression. Learning Emotional Logic may improve both communication across generations, and understanding of the common humanity between different groups within our one British culture. The new emotional insights could help young people to resist being inappropriately led, and enable them instead to bring assertive order to situations.Originality/valueThe Emotional Logic tools are unique. Each person can safely map their emotional chaos during times of change, and link these feelings to values they had not named before.