EQ in Space: Self Awareness
- Mark Wagner, Ph.D.
- Apr 11, 2023
- 2 min read
The Human Space Program blog features a post by Blue Origin engineer Bailey Burns focusing on the importance of emotional intelligence and self awareness in space.
Emotional Intelligence, often referred to as Emotional Quotient (or EQ) is all the things that make us as humans the squishy, emotional, loving, community-based species that we are. Now, why am I talking about this on a space blog? As we expand out into the universe and start considering long-duration missions to the Moon or Mars (or further) in a small tin can with limited resources and multiple crew members all with different backgrounds and cultures… Emotional Intelligence is the key to making sure we don’t kill each other in space. The good news is we don’t have to wait to go to space to fix this. We can start working on developing EQ right here on Earth.
This resonates with us at ARES Learning, where we are committed to teaching the whole child, deliberately addressing emotional intelligence and self-awareness... in addition to strategies from classic philosophy and modern positive psychology. Our goal is to prepare students to be happy, healthy, and well balanced people, well suited to teamwork and leadership - even under adverse conditions.
Learn more about the ARES Learning approach in the book Space Education: Preparing Students for Humanity's Multi-Planet Future by our co-founder Dr. Mark Wagner, and explore a complete Space Education Curriculum developed for high schools - it's a free and open education resource available to students, teachers, and enthusiasts everywhere.
Educators, sign up for online professional development based on the book and curriculum. And be sure to register for the FREE online Space Education Summit on April 21, 2023.
The article's emphasis on EQ being 'the key to making sure we don’t kill each other in space' really resonated, especially the crucial insight that we don’t have to wait for space travel to start developing these skills. It highlights how foundational self-awareness and empathy are, not just for extreme environments, but for effective collaboration and leadership in any high-stakes team setting here on Earth too. While understanding its importance is the first step, many often wonder how to accurately gauge their current emotional intelligence levels or identify specific areas for growth. For those looking to gain clarity on their own EQ, exploring resources like a comprehensive emotional intelligence test can be a really insightful starting point.
Essential points on EQ for space and life on Earth. Cultivate your self-awareness; explore your emotional intelligence: Emotionalintelligencetest.
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