JEDDAH: A social adviser has said It is easy to lure young Saudis into terrorist groups because of their poor “emotional intelligence,” the low quality of their education, and a lack of dialogue among family members to stop them from straying.
Talking to a local publication, Khalid Al-Munif said his belief that holding emotional intelligence courses for youth would greatly reduce divorce rates in the Kingdom, and would also reduce cases of extortion and sexual harassment. “These emotional courses could be linked to the school curriculum.”
Al-Munif, a specialist and researcher in social intelligence, said that emotional intelligence was the basic foundation for successful societies and institutions. He was speaking at a training workshop entitled “Social Intelligence ” organized by the Committee for the Social Development of Rawada neighborhood in Dammam.
“Studies and statistics have demonstrated that 80 percent of a successful and happy life depends on one’s emotional intelligence, and the higher their emotional intelligence level, the more capable a person becomes in achieving success and happiness,” he said.
He said that emotional intelligence includes the ability to manage and control one’s emotions and feelings, self-motivation and the ability to drive and motivate others.
“A key issue that makes individuals ‘easy prey’ for others is the lack of inner emotional strength, such as when they are being bullied by others in the family. If, on the other hand, the person grows up in a positive family environment where they can express their opinions and object to unreasonable orders or demands, there is less chance of the person falling victim to mistaken ideologies,” said the social adviser.
He pointed out that the quality of some teachers in schools is also a contributing factor to the problem.
“They instill bad values in their students, either verbally by swearing and cursing, or by their inability to exert discipline,” he concluded. He suggested the need to remedy this matter quickly in order to stop even more youth falling victim to this phenomenon.
Talking to a local publication, Khalid Al-Munif said his belief that holding emotional intelligence courses for youth would greatly reduce divorce rates in the Kingdom, and would also reduce cases of extortion and sexual harassment. “These emotional courses could be linked to the school curriculum.”
Al-Munif, a specialist and researcher in social intelligence, said that emotional intelligence was the basic foundation for successful societies and institutions. He was speaking at a training workshop entitled “Social Intelligence ” organized by the Committee for the Social Development of Rawada neighborhood in Dammam.
“Studies and statistics have demonstrated that 80 percent of a successful and happy life depends on one’s emotional intelligence, and the higher their emotional intelligence level, the more capable a person becomes in achieving success and happiness,” he said.
He said that emotional intelligence includes the ability to manage and control one’s emotions and feelings, self-motivation and the ability to drive and motivate others.
“A key issue that makes individuals ‘easy prey’ for others is the lack of inner emotional strength, such as when they are being bullied by others in the family. If, on the other hand, the person grows up in a positive family environment where they can express their opinions and object to unreasonable orders or demands, there is less chance of the person falling victim to mistaken ideologies,” said the social adviser.
He pointed out that the quality of some teachers in schools is also a contributing factor to the problem.
“They instill bad values in their students, either verbally by swearing and cursing, or by their inability to exert discipline,” he concluded. He suggested the need to remedy this matter quickly in order to stop even more youth falling victim to this phenomenon.
