Nature vs nurture

In chapter 6, Goleman begins to address the physiological predisposition and the contextual development of EI. He sights many examples about the learned elements speaking more than the genetic ones. Essentially, he gives some insight to emotional/motivational conditioning for developing leaders through EI, however he stipulates that the plasticity of the brain for learning information in the limbic system (the part of the brain that is designed for emotional learning) is moderated by slower learning neural connectivity due to its more primal/basic design. This is somewhat ridiculous.

Much of my personal study is on emotional conditioning to maximize learning. Whether happy or afraid, the information gathered at a strong emotional event tends to become more easily engrained. The excitatory effect of strong emotions facilitates the uptake of sensory input as a survival mechanism. Goleman tends to use 'motivation' as a prime mover for EI learning; however, what he states is just a softer/nicer implication for conditional learning. Granted, repeated strong emotional events can become tedious and inhibitory for learning, but I believe that individual design coordinated with varied emotionally related events could provide a better means of EI retention.

At the end of the chapter, Goleman addresses a cyclical means of development called Boyatzi's Theory of Self-Directed Learning. For some, this process may seem like a 'no duh,' but it's main benefit is the reliance on others providing analyses and feedback. Sometimes change is hard going it alone; having someone give you criticism and perspective is essential to truly achieve change. Boyatzi's 5 steps of discovery are simply put; however, I believe that this process is dependent on an EI specialist for guidance.