"We've entered a global emotional recession," so says State of the Heart 2024.
"All across the globe, people are losing their inner spark. They’re volatile and less likely to be able to navigate emotions. They’re uncertain about the future and less able to find optimism and feel a sense of purpose."
The report finds that globally, the ability to exercise optimism has declined significantly. Specifically, the skill of exercising optimism decreased by 8.56% from previous measurements. This decline is part of a broader trend in decreased emotional intelligence competencies across the board, which the report refers to as entering an "emotional recession."
Optimism in this context is seen as essential for creating solutions, innovating, taking risks, and generally having a proactive perspective of hope and possibility. The decline in this skill suggests that people are finding it harder to feel hopeful about the future and to engage in positive forward-thinking, which could affect their ability to navigate personal and professional challenges effectively. The report emphasises the importance of reversing this trend by enhancing emotional intelligence skills through targeted training and interventions.
Interestingly, Latin America scored highest in "Exercise Optimism", indicating strength in envisioning new possibilities.
I am grateful to Joshua Freedman and Six Seconds for sending me this research. Their "mission is growing the world's emotional intelligence."