I made only one New Year's resolution: to try to hold on to what little sanity I still have. This goal is particularly challenging when I think about the Republican Presidential candidates. (The heavily armed men taking over Federal property that belongs to me and my fellow citizens come in a close second.)
My tactic is to take off my partisan campaign buttons and to put on the white coat of a scientist. For about 12 years I have been using the Myers-Briggs personality assessment in my executive coaching practice. It works. There are 16 personality types; I try to keep in mind that people are different. My type is shared by only 2-3 percent of the American population. So what I think is not representative of most of the population. (Key word here is "think" - my primary response. For most people, "feel" is the first reaction.)
I then bring to bear Emotional Intelligence (EQ), in particular social awareness or empathy. How can I understand what is truly motivating the radical right who are keeping Ted Cruz and Donald Trump at the top of the polls? Today's test was keeping my composure while reading Frank Bruni's column in the NY Times. Click here to see how well you do. Are you ready for the scientist's white coat or for a straight jacket? I'm doing the best I can to keep my resolution.
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