John Campbell’s High Emotional Intelligence

Over 20 years ago, emotional intelligence was considered highly desirable and cultivating that trait was all on.

Media presenter John Campbell developed it, using it very successfully for a time, but unfortunately for him, viewers cottoned on to its manipulative nature. Taking a sliver of truth and pushing that sliver out of context and out of proper proportion has a short media shelf life.

Campbell went out of favour and left the industry to sulk for a bit, only to return to broadcasting and start savaging the public all over again. Will he ever learn?

“A visibly emotional John Campbell put the spotlight on the state of poverty in New Zealand while reporting beside a sleeping child who spent the night outside a food bank.
The Breakfast presenter was at Eden Park, where Auckland City Mission has set up a distribution centre ahead of Christmas.

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“We talk about this all the time, and usually we talk to adults and we leave children out of this, because whatever is going on is never the child’s responsibility,” he said, sitting on the ground beside the young girl who was covered in a blanket.”

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Crying a river to push the child poverty narrative just makes Campbell look silly, and banging on about child poverty for years without considering the welfare system that created the poverty cycle is exactly that. Silly. Did Jacinda Ardern master her training wheels while listening to the pink and woke John Campbell?

The real nature of emotional intelligence is revealed when it is used to exploit, bully, and abuse. Of course, the abuse is temporary, because exploitation only works on stupid people and reasonable people don’t stay permanently stupid. Eventually, we grow out of it.

Emotional Intelligence is all about connecting with other people’s emotions with the express purpose of achieving our own goals.

“Emotional intelligence is the ability to make emotions work for you, instead of against you.”

Justin Baruso, Author of EQ Applied

Although a nebulous concept, this author gives 13 characteristics that indicate emotional intelligence. The more characteristics, the higher your manipulation quotient.

1. You think about feelings.
2. You pause.
3. You strive to control your thoughts.
4. You benefit from criticism.
5. You show authenticity.
6. You demonstrate empathy.
7. You praise others.
8. You give helpful feedback.
9. You apologise.
10. You forgive and forget.
11. You keep your commitments.
12. You help others.
13. You protect yourself from emotional sabotage.

First, note that truth is not a factor, and there is no striving for the facts of a matter. Compiling an honest report is only useful insofar as it creates the illusion of authenticity. Facts and honesty are not requirements for emotional intelligence.

Second, emotional intelligence is always about you. The object of your interest (and tears) is a secondary consideration – and that’s a pretty shallow way of looking at life.