Emotional inteligence
412/661habits of the heart learned in childhood—can be reshaped.Emotional learning is lifelong.
14Temperament Is Not DestinySo much for altering emotional patterns that have beenlearned. But what about those responses that are givensof our genetic endowment—what of changing the habitualreactions of people who by nature are, say, highlyvolatile, or painfully shy? This range of the emotionalcompass falls under the sweep of temperament, thebackground murmur of feelings that mark our basic disposition.Temperament can be defined in terms of themoods that typify our emotional life. To some degree weeach have such a favored emotional range; temperamentis a given at birth, part of the genetic lottery that hascompelling force in the unfolding of life. Every parenthas seen this: from birth a child will be calm and placidor testy and difficult. The question is whether such abiologically determined emotional set can be changed byexperience. Does our biology fix our emotional destiny,or can even an innately shy child grow into a more confidentadult?The clearest answer to this question comes from thework of Jerome Kagan, the eminent developmental psychologistat Harvard University. 1 Kagan posits that thereare at least four temperamental types—timid, bold, upbeat,and melancholy—and that each is due to a
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- Page 384 and 385: 384/661In ensuing months, the Purdy
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- Page 422 and 423: 422/661to help her up, and as I did
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- Page 456 and 457: 456/661Dana, sixteen, had always se
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habits of the heart learned in childhood—can be reshaped.
Emotional learning is lifelong.