The Tango Attitude IQ Test

In the field of mental health, a new way of thinking about "intelligence" has emerged to be more accepted:  Emotional Intelligence.  A subtype of Emotional Intelligence is Attitudinal Intelligence. Attitude can be also defined "as the line of travel a plane takes as it comes in for a landing."   If the attitude is too steep, you crash.  Attitude is everything when it comes to flying a plane and dancing tango. 

I like watching people with great attitudes.  

They soar above all the noise and drama.  One teacher I very much appreciate is Maxi Gluzman.  The guy can dance in his own space and protect his tanguera from rouge tangueros or dangerous giraffe-sized tanguera steps.  He doesn't let these folks take him away from dancing well and in his own world-made-for-two. 

He's a genius on the Tango Attitude IQ test.  Am I prepared for the Tango Attitude IQ test?  There's one given at each milonga!!!  Are you ready too?  I have test with a possible 100 points, below.  I know that I cannot get 100 points all the time, but it's worth the quest to have emotional intelligence.

Emotional Intelligence:  See the Big Five personality traits to construct this IQ test at this link:  The Big Five personality traits.

• 20pts.  You develop relationships with many people at the milonga.  People are more than a person with a dance skill-set.  This trait is "Extraversion / Sociability:  the tendency to seek the company of others."

• 20pts. You dance in a way that limits injury to others on the dance floor.  This trait is "Conscientiousness: efficient/organized vs. easy-going/careless."

• 20pts. DJs can ruin a milonga--at least for one person.  Making it worse by complaining at the milonga is not going to make it better.  If action is needed, there is an ethical and socially acceptable way to work for change.  Violent overthrow is not on the list.  This trait is "Agreeableness: friendly/compassionate vs. analytical/detached."

• 20pts. Although you are not obligated to dance with anyone, you are able to look at someone and acknowledge them as a person AND make it clear that you don't want to dance if that is the case.  You are obligated to your character of kindness.  This trait is called "Openness to experience: inventive/curious vs. consistent/cautious."

• 20pts. People who are cruel or say stupid things to you or other do not bring you to their level.  You treat them well because of your character not because they have enough good behavior points.  This trait is the ability to be Drama-Resistant / confident and secure vs. Neuroticism: sensitive/nervous/angry.

If you know me personally, you will know that I am not perfect.  So please know that I am not trying to preach to you.  But maybe we can work on these things together?



Photo credit:  Yulia Kriskovets.  You can see her excellent milonga ambience photography at Milonga Zandunga on Facebook (a Washington D.C. Milonga).