Emotional Intelligence and Well Being

 

One of the most significant interests in the field of psychology is the matter of wellbeing. This is an important factor especially when one considers that in the modern world, which is often hectic and places individuals under considerable pressure, there is the need to make sure that the wellbeing of individuals is maintained at all times. Mental health professionals have come to place a focus on the manner through which a diversity of factors, including emotional intelligence, can contribute effectively to the attainment of wellbeing (Zelenski, Murphy, & Jenkins, 2008). Mental and physical wellbeing are essential factors to consider within the psychological field, with the result being that there is the need to factor in the role of emotional intelligence as a means of attaining the goal of promoting it. This paper considers the role that emotional intelligence plays on the attainment of wellbeing.

Emotional intelligence has gained considerable attention in recent years because of the manner through which it has the capability of ensuring that individuals have the necessary coping resources to promote wellbeing (Schutte, Malouff, Thorsteinsson, Bhullar, & Rooke, 2007). There is a direct connection between emotional intelligence and a diversity of positive outcomes when it comes to such areas as careers, mental health, and academic performance. It is therefore a pertinent means of making sure that there is the promotion of the general wellbeing of individuals. It can be used as an intervention strategy with great promise because of its ability to ensure that individuals are essentially trained in a manner that provides them with the means of having a high quality of health as well as good social relationships that generally contribute to their wellbeing. In this way, individuals with emotional intelligence skills are more likely to have both mental and physical wellbeing than those without.

It is also essential to consider the manner through which happiness or wellbeing is approached from a psychological perspective. There are two main approaches to happiness at a theoretical level; the hedonic and the eudaimonic (Ryff, 1989). The hedonic approach is one that essentially affirms the idea that happiness is based on the absence of negative affection and instead, is represented by a presence of positive affection. The eudaimonic approach, on the other hand, considers happiness to come about when an individual attains their potential based on the consequence of full psychological functioning. From the latter perspective, the psychological wellbeing of an individual is essential to the attainment of happiness, which results in the creation of a pleasant feeling concerning aspects of life including the past, present, and future, which ensures that life is viewed meaningfully (Peterson, Ruch, Beermann, Park, & Seligman, 2007).

It is necessary to consider that emotional intelligence is a critical aspect of attaining happiness and wellbeing. This is especially the case when one considers that most important decisions should be made based on emotional intelligence as a means of determining the psychological impact of the decisions that are being made (Durlofsky, 2018). Emotional intelligence is therefore the ability by individuals to not only identify, but also understand and manage their emotions in a positive manner that provides for the attainment of positive results. Without such efforts, it can be quite difficult for the individuals involved to reduce psychological issues such as anxiety and stress, as well as undertake actions aimed at ensuring that there is the overcoming of the challenges of life. However, with emotional intelligence, individuals have the capability of handling their emotions in a way that allows for their happiness.

Emotional intelligence is also an important quality for individuals to have because of the influence it has on relationships and behavior. It involves a process of self-awareness which enables individuals to live in a way that they undertake actions intentionally and with purpose which results in relative autonomy (Schutte et al., 2007). Furthermore, it allows individuals to make sure that they achieve the goal of making important decision based on reason over being based on current circumstances, the latter which often leads to a failure to consider the consequences. It is therefore necessary to consider that the development of emotional intelligence is a critical aspect of the attainment of personal success while at the same time making sure that the individuals involved are also happy. The eventual aim of attaining happiness should be the major goal of developing emotional intelligence.

Emotional intelligence is often related to the way that individuals perceive themselves. Therefore, under such circumstances, it is necessary to consider the need to make sure that there is the promotion of this form of intelligence because it allows for self-assessment which can be a good factor when it comes to attaining personal peace (Mukhalipi & Shane, 2019). Moreover, emotional intelligence can be used in a diversity of ways by individuals to not only correct what may be their weaknesses and build on their strengths as a means of bringing about the attainment of the goal of happiness. Wellbeing can therefore be attained through the intervention that seeks to enhance emotional intelligence to such an extent that creates an environment within which individuals are better able to self-assess and come up with meaningful decisions that positively affect their lives.

The diverse models that are involved in emotional intelligence tend to be highly effective when it comes to the potential benefits that that bring about. This is especially the case when it comes to the way that the positive psychological interventions involved in emotional intelligence will often end up making it possible for individuals to develop positive behaviors that allow for the attainment of the goal of promoting wellbeing. Emotional intelligence can be used as a means of enhancing the psychological and subjective wellbeing of individuals in such a way that fosters good health and an enhancement of performance among individuals. Furthermore, emotional intelligence is critical to the achievement of happiness in the form of satisfaction with the self and the social environment.

The discussion above considers the role that emotional intelligence plays on the attainment of wellbeing. This is because emotional intelligence has gained considerable attention in recent years because of the manner through which it has the capability of ensuring that individuals have the necessary coping resources to promote wellbeing. Moreover, from a theoretical perspective, the discussion above has shown that there are two main approaches mainly the hedonic and the eudaimonic. Moreover, emotional intelligence is a critical aspect of attaining happiness and wellbeing and is also an important quality for individuals to have because of the influence it has on relationships and behavior. The latter allows for an enhancement of positive thought that further ensures that there is the attainment of psychological wellbeing and happiness among individuals.

Is a minority government structure preferable to an absolute majority in Canada?

 

The parliamentary democracy of Canada is one that promotes the idea that the party with the most seats in parliament ends up forming the government. However, there are instances where a party will win either just over half or fewer than half of the seats in parliament. A consequence is that it creates an environment within which the party is faced with the reality of having to form a minority government (Gagnier, 2011). This places it in a circumstance where it has to ensure that it negotiated with opposition parties in order to secure the passage of legislation through parliament. The psychology and dynamic of minority governments tend to be quite different from majority governments because of the manner through which they have to pay critical attention to matters of contact with other political parties as well as undertake a diversity of negotiations in order to stay in power. It is also pertinent to note that because of the way that minority governments operate, it has become common for them to ensure that they play a waiting game where they wait for the most opportune moment to call a general election in order to win a majority (Gagnier, 2011). However, prior to requesting the governor general to dissolve parliament and call for elections (Canada, 2015), the prime ministers in minority governments will constantly work to ensure that they maintain the confidence of parliament. This paper makes an analysis of minority governments in Canada within the context of determining whether or not they are preferable to an absolute majority.

Minority governments are not strange in Canada and in fact, they have appeared often for almost a century. The first minority government at the federal level appeared in 1921 when the Liberal Party came to power under Mackenzie King (Bakvis, 2015). This government was able to survive for close to four years through negotiations and making sure that they maintained a slight majority through the bringing in of susceptible members of the Progressive Party. The ability of the Liberals to remain in power for such a long time despite having a minority government can be considered critical because it shows the manner through which King was able to not only hold the members of his party together, but also seek out alliances with MPs that were willing to support his government initiatives. The latter is also pertinent because it shows the way that minority governments have to ensure that they use negotiations with other parties in order to not only maintain power, but also establish a level of leverage in parliament to make sure that critical laws are passed. In this way, minority governments in Canada have been able to survive in circumstances that would otherwise have been extremely difficult, as seen in other countries where formation of governments tend to be quite tedious.

One of the most important factors when it comes to a minority government in Canada is that the role of parliament becomes more prominent. This is especially considering that the house leaders of all parties end up playing a key role when it comes to matters of negotiations as well as diplomacy between the different parties. It also ensures that there is the promotion of means through which progressive agendas in society are also advanced, as seen through the way that in Canada, minority governments tend to be associated with progressive legislation such as the public pensions and medicare that came about because of the cooperation between the Liberals and the NDP (Bakvis, 2015). Minority governments are therefore bound to makes sure that there is the promotion of a scenario where it is possible for cooperation with other political parties to take on a more prominent role in governance. In this way, more individuals in society, specifically based on demographics, will have some form of representation in government because of the desire by government to negotiate with other parties in order to survive. Minority governments can, under such circumstances, be considered more representative of the population of the country.

Minority governments also have the potential of collapsing because of unexpected controversies or scandals. This is especially the case when it comes to cases over ethics and impropriety that might create an environment within which the government, because it is in the minority, is unable to perform its duties effectively. An example of such a situation was that of the damage that was suffered by the Liberal brand in Quebec because of the sponsorship scandal (Bakvis, 2015). However, it is noteworthy that despite the environment of instability that is generated by a minority government, many Canadians look positively towards such governments because of the belief that they are more responsive. These governments have to consider the views of their own members as well as those in other parties as a means of ensuring that there is the passage of legislation. Because they do not have an absolute majority, minority governments will often be sensitive to public opinion to such an extent that they will more likely than not respond more to the public than would otherwise have been the case.

It is important to consider that every action of a minority government is often conditioned to ensure that it covers its fragility. This is because they are placed in a vulnerable position where they do not have the leverage to make ensure that they take unilateral decisions. Instead, they are placed in a situation where they are left at the mercy of opposition parties, which tend to hold government more accountable during this period. However, it is important to note that opposition parties will often focus more on seeking to ensure that they question every government action, which results in bitterness within the legislature; creating an environment of instability because the political actors will not be seeking to achieve the same goals. The public service therefore ends up becoming negatively affected because the individuals involved in the political process are not only in constant disagreement, but there is a failure by the government to pass laws that are critical to running state functions. The loss of civility in parliament makes it difficult for politicians to serve the public good and helps to project the environment of instability which makes a majority government more desirable.

There is the perception, especially among Canadian politicians, that minority governments are temporary. Therefore, there is often little attempt to ensure that there is the formation of a coalition government with other parties. This has come to reduce the incentive to ensure that there is the creation of long-term cooperation deals between parties with the result being that a majority of Canadian parties will often work alone. Securing majorities has become a daunting task for a considerable number of minority governments. A lot of minority governments have been influenced by the way that John Diefenbaker, despite having a minority government in 1957, ended up winning a majority government by the largest margin in the history of Canada less than a year after his government initially won the elections (Russell & Sossin, 2009, p. 130). This has created a trend in Canadian politics where there is little motivation to form coalition governments in the belief that in a subsequent election, they will win a majority. In this way, many prime ministers have been unable to secure majorities and have instead ended up with minority governments. The quest for a majority is ironic because it has often led to a continuation of minority governments in the country for most of its modern history.

The experience of Canada with minority governments can be considered paradoxical because despite their considerable frequency, they are still seen as temporary. In addition, despite many citizens considering minority governments as being unstable, and there being a desire for more stable majority governments, the continued frequency of minority governments shows that the latter remain a critical aspect of Canadian society. There is the need to make sure that there is the promotion of a scenario where this problem is addressed through seeking the formation of coalition governments based on long-term partnerships between the various political parties. Thus, the problems associated with minority governments within parliament would be overcome and more stable governments of the majority would be formed.

Should the U.S. continue to act as a policeman for other countries?

 

Since the end of the Cold War in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States has become the sole global superpower. A consequence has been that it has become the most dominant nation in the world, essentially dictating policy to other countries while at the same time functioning as hegemon in various regions including the Middle East, East Asia, Latin America, and Europe, and being highly influential in the rest (Cossa et al. 5). Therefore, the United States, no matter its position in these regions, has inevitably become and remains the most powerful nation, both militarily and economically, in the world, and has utilized this leverage as a means of having its way. This paper seeks to determine whether the United States should continue to act as a policeman for other countries or whether it should withdraw from this role.

The rise to sole dominance by the United States was seen as a seminal event because it was considered by some scholars as the end of history. There was the belief that it would ensure that there was the promotion of peace and democracy across the world and would create an environment within which it was possible for all nations to live harmoniously together (Lazar and Lazar 321). However, this turned out not to be the case because the predictions that were made concerning global peace under American hegemony did not turn out as expected. This has come to be blamed on the United States’ reluctance to take on its responsibilities as the global hegemon. The failure to consider that the United States has actually done the best that it can has created an environment where it is essentially blamed for the collapse of peace in some parts of the world. There needs to be a contemplation of the manner through which the United States has contributed to global stability in the face of numerous challenges.

One of the most important points that can be made concerning the United States as a global policeman is that no nation has been able to muster the power that it possesses to uphold international law. The United States plays an extremely important role when it comes to the enforcement of international law across the world and it is because of this role that it has been able to make sure that it promotes relative stability in almost all the regions in the world (Etzioni 3). It is noteworthy that the military and economic activities of the United States have allowed it to have leverage over a diversity of nations and groups, with the result being that its presence on the global stage as policeman has essentially kept the world from falling into violence and chaos. It has further allowed for the promotion of a scenario where there is a level of deterrence against belligerent powers.

However, there have been arguments that the United States should only focus on safeguarding its own security and interests. This is especially the case when it comes to the way that it spends billions of dollars in undertaking its foreign policy responsibilities. This money could be better used to settle the diversity of problems that it has domestically and result in a scenario where Americans are better off. Other countries in the world should be allowed to take on the role of policeman, even regionally, because the United States cannot do it all. Instead, because of the overreliance on the United States, the result has been chaos, as seen through the way that strong governance at a global level still does not exist over a quarter a century since the rise of the United States as the sole superpower (Huddleston 4; Vörös 3). Therefore, the United States should pull back and give other nations the opportunity to take on more responsibilities at a global level.

The United States is a necessary part of the global security structure and is therefore best suited to being the global policeman. It is not only the most powerful nation militarily and economically, it is also the most influential country in the world. It has military facilities in a diversity of countries across many regions, which allows for the easy projection of power. Moreover, because it has the capability of maintaining such a large military and has the economic capability to impose sanctions on any country in the world, the United States is best placed to be the global policeman. This is a capability that no other country in the world possesses, which gives the United States the leverage it needs to ensure that it not only promotes its interests, but also secures the rest of the world against threats that might arise.

The United States is the nation best placed to act as the policeman for other countries. It not only has the best capabilities militarily, but it also the world’s largest economy. Furthermore, the leverage that it has over other nations based on strong diplomatic relations has allowed the United States to ensure that it not only achieves the goal of promoting global peace through the projection of power, but it has also ensured that there is the promotion of greater global cooperation. In the process, the United States, as the global hegemon, has been able to preside over a period of considerable global peace that has made it possible for global economic and regional integration to become a reality; greatly benefiting the peoples of the world.