People are hardwired as both rational and emotional beings. People’s ability to acknowledge their emotions, and work to understand and manage them constructively and appropriately (referred to as emotional intelligence), has much to do with their success in life. This principle applies to both individuals and groups. Emotions are highly contagious and easily affect others. This is particularly true if the emotions are intense and have been experienced over a longer period of time. It could take quite some time before rationality, reason and "cool heads" return. Research done by Bloomberg in 2017 refers to SA as "one of the most miserable countries in the world". This is due to high unemployment rates, slow economic growth, high interest rates, poor service delivery, and high consumer prices, among other things. The sense of being miserable coincides with a time of political electioneering in the country, which could form part of a "perfect storm", given how emotionally laden politic...
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