Mains Practice Questions

Approach

• Start with briefly explaining the meaning of crisis of conscience.
• Discuss the role of emotional intelligence in overcoming the crisis of conscience.
• Conclude suitably

Answer

Crisis of conscience is a situation in which someone feels worried or uncomfortable because he/she has done something which he/she thinks is wrong or immoral. It is the inability to act based on what one thinks to be right. It may be due to external obligations to act in certain specific ways.

Emotional Intelligence is about knowing and understanding not only one’s own emotions but also others’ emotions and then behaving and regulating one’s own emotions in a socially desirable way. It is a fairly specific ability that connects a person's knowledge processes to his or her emotional processes.

Role of EI in overcoming crisis of conscience without compromising the ethical stand

• Being self-aware helps one identify emotions. One would be able to know how it affects other people around him/her. A person needs to identify his/her strengths and weaknesses and behave with humility.
• Improving one’s communication skill is crucial to do well in the social skills element. One needs to be calm and think of new projects and ideas to make things work.
• A person needs to be empathetic towards other people’s feelings both individually and in groups. It will help him/her become a better leader and gain respect from the team members.
• EI can help in reconciling apparently divergent values which may be causing the crisis of conscience. For example, EI can blend objectivity of law with subjectivity of emotions leading to compassionate justice.

Despite being vital, sometimes, EI may not be adequate in resolving crisis of conscience. In such cases, laws, rules, regulations and social values can act as guides to ethical conduct and help resolve crisis of conscience.