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• Calm In The Storm
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Calm in the Storm

The ability to exert control over emotional responses-to remain cool and rational amid chaos or pressure-has long been associated with success in business.

Great leaders have the capacity to consider the context surrounding external events before reacting to them, says executive coach David Rock. "Responding thoughtfully, rather than saying what first comes to mind, prevents leaders from responding in a way they may later regret." The economist Adam Smith likened this perspective to an "impartial observer." Rock calls it simple self-awareness, or "paying attention to the relationship between how we feel and what we do." Daniel Goleman coined the term "emotional intelligence" to describe the ability to wisely apply one's emotions to everyday decision-making. (ref-9) He argues that this aspect of personality is the strongest predictor of individual success.

Some studies suggest that older people are able to regulate their emotions better than younger people. Psychologist Laura Carstensen and colleagues showed that older people have a tendency to overlook the negative and remember the positive. (ref-10) They experience negative emotions less frequently than younger people, and show more adeptness at regulating emotions.

By stepping back and adopting the perspective of an objective onlooker who is not emotionally invested in a situation, we engage the prefrontal cortex, the area most important for rational, measured thinking. Rock and Schwartz have suggested that this pattern of activity is the brain-function correlative to Smith's "impartial spectator." The sense of distance or objectivity dampens amygdala activity, essentially "quieting" the brain, and allowing it to process external events more efficiently.

Other brain imaging research has shown that the amygdala lights up in older people when they view positive images, but not when they see negative ones. (ref-11) Younger people show amygdala activation with both types of images, suggesting that they are less able to ignore or "let go" of negative impulses.

The modern perspective squares well with an observation made more than a century ago by psychologist William James: "The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook."