Michael Jordan and Jordan B. Peterson are two men I admire for the same reason: high emotional intelligence (EQ). According to Google, EQ is the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one’s emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically.
In episode 11 of the podcast, my guest Ted Agon said, “Humans are comprised of emotion and reason or emotion and rational. If we were totally rational, we would not be human; if we were totally emotional, we would not exist.”
Emotions are involved in everything we do: every action, decision and motivation. The emotionally intelligent person instinctively understands this. He or she uses rational thinking to manage their emotions rather than be controlled by them. Coupled with this ability (for the rational to inform the emotional), the high EQ individual has exceptional self-awareness. They’re capable of observing themselves and monitoring their own behavior.
It’s no wonder emotional intelligence is the key to success in the world, both personally and professionally.
High EQ Characteristics: Work Ethic, Leadership & ‘Swagger’
Michael Jordan had many high EQ characteristics that helped him become the greatest basketball player of all time (GOAT). First and foremost, his work ethic & competitive drive were indefatigable. Literally.
MJ stayed up all night the night before the gold medal game in Barcelona (1992). He was so competitive that he wouldn’t stop playing cards until the game was over. When the card game finished, he washed his face and left the hotel for a full day of media appearances and 18 holes of golf, before getting on the team bus. Jack McCallum tells this story in his book, Dream Team, How Michael, Magic, Larry, Charles, and the Greatest Team of All Time Conquered the World and Changed the Game of Basketball Forever.
MJ had excellent leadership skills. His work habits enabled him to hold teammates to a higher standard; he made those around him better. Equally important, he trusted his teammates to make shots in the most clutch situations. Who is John Paxson?
MJ had swagger before the word entered the lexicon of the extended adolescent demographic. Swagger, as we know it today, is hard to define. But reasonable people can agree Jordan had it and Paxson did not.
I’ll share “swagger’s” origin. Let’s see if it helps. The word was first used by Jay-Z in a song called “All I Need” in 2001. It’s the reason “Hova” (Jay-Z) can say, “I invented swag,” as he did in “Otis,” 2011—the first time I heard it.
But Jordan exuded swag long before Jiggaman (Hova). Besides, should “President Carter” get credit for naming anything when he can’t decide on a name for himself?
On this topic, the last time I heard ‘swag’ was this morning. I woke up and stumbled downstairs to find Lady O sitting on the couch. I said, “Hey, Good morning!”
She said, “Wow, you wake up drippin’ in swag. Let me make you some pancakes.”
No, wait, not sure it happened that way. Sometimes I can remember song lyrics from 20 years ago, but not what I had for breakfast. I don’t think it was pancakes.
The Swagger of Jordan B. Peterson
Jordan B. Peterson’s high EQ characteristics have helped him become the most influential clinical psychologist of all time. If you doubt this, consider that neither Freud nor Pavlov’s lectures had over 100 million Youtube views.
JBP has experienced elevated energy levels since starting a carnivore diet, contributing to his incredible work ethic.
His leadership qualities are demonstrated by how many young mens’ lives he has transformed. He believes young men are starved for information about responsibility after being fed a “diet” of rights and freedoms instead of truth and responsibility—it’s a little-known secret to a meaningful life.
JBP expounds on and teaches Friedrich Nietzsche’s idea that “to live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.” Like Nietzsche, JBP believes it is unbearable to have suffering without meaning.
Allow me a digression before I describe the ‘swag’ of JBP—this subject of suffering is too important.
All religions, as far as I know, are rooted in an understanding that life is suffering. Even skeptics have a humble respect for religion—it’s been indispensable to believers throughout nearly every era of human history. Thus, JBP’s message is resonating, at least in part, given that so many young people are being raised without religion. They’re desperate for guidance that provides examples from which they can extract the power of transcendent suffering.
I was raised in the Catholic Church. Christianity teaches that we all have a cross to bear, often undeservedly so, as Christ didn’t deserve his maltreatment and crucifixion. I’ve always felt immense gratitude for being given that example as a kid.
It’s not an accident that the axiomatic Western individual is someone who was unfairly nailed to a cross and tortured. – Jordan B. Peterson
I knew little of Peterson’s work until he’d become very famous. But I came to greatly respect him after watching his interview with Cathy Newman, which has over 15 million Youtube views. He was textbook high EQ, demonstrating swagger “on head to feet” (Nothing Was the Same).
The emotions he surely felt being questioned by someone as hostile and sour as Newman were utilized for great good. In this case, not only winning the debate with ‘swag,’ but also skillfully exposing her as someone who regularly tries to dishonestly “put words in peoples’ mouths.”
Increasing Your EQ Through Observation
It’s important to realize how you can increase your emotional intelligence studying an interview like Peterson & Newman’s. It exposes you to someone who is angry and invested in their narrative, leading them to ignore what is said (Newman makes some arguments over and over again) while constantly mischaracterizing someone’s views. Despite asking Peterson questions, she had no intention of learning anything from him. Give thought to how valuable it is to know there are people like Newman in the world.
While most people will never face a situation where someone is openly antagonistic in front of millions of viewers, you will face a variety of individuals who will make your life more difficult and unpleasant. Whether they’re flaky, aggressive or passive-aggressive, you must be careful not to allow the negative traits of that person to annoy you, but view them as mere additions to your knowledge—new facts learned in your continuous study of human nature.
While people have trained themselves to present a facade that is appropriate and will be judged favorably, none of us can completely control what we communicate. How someone really feels is eventually betrayed in the form of posture, tone of voice or micro-facial expressions. JBP has said Newman was pleasant pre-interview. But he detected malevolence immediately once the cameras were turned on.
…the Laws [of Human Nature] will make you a master interpreter of the cues that people continually emit, giving you a much greater ability to judge their character. – Robert Greene, The Laws of Human Nature
Most people habitually pay little attention to others’ nonverbal cues. They are too focused on words, thinking about what they will say next or riddled with anxiety (do they like me?). For these reasons many people evaluate what others’ say in personal terms. Yet the height of emotional intelligence is being able to identify the emotions of others (e.g. Peterson recognizing Newman’s antipathy) and successfully managing your own emotions after sensing antagonism—much easier to do when you don’t take things personally.
Peterson’s high EQ gave him the capacity to be aware of sensations in his body, control them, and channel the energy from those emotions to express himself in a way that increased the likelihood of achieving a desirable outcome from the interaction. It takes an extremely high EQ to deal with acrimonious individuals in a way that orients an interaction toward a desirable outcome. Peterson gave us an example of precisely how to do that.
The Logos for Logos
Michael Jordan had a bigger impact on the game of basketball than anyone before or since. He is largely credited with making his sport globally recognized and appreciated. They oughta change the Air Jordan logo to a goat.
In 2018, Jordan B. Peterson’s book, 12 Rules for Life, was #1 for nonfiction in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, the Netherlands, Norway and Brazil. Hard to believe—who knew there were books in Brazil.
For JBP’s incredible number of Youtube views and soaring book sales, they should give him the Air Jordan logo.
Not sure what I enjoy more. The blog or a good postcard. Keep it going cuz.
Aw thank you my man!