It will remain as one of the strong images of the inter-round of the legislative elections. The one that put the spotlight on Marine Tondelier. Widely relayed on social networks, we see the leader of the ecologists, the day after the first round, on the verge of tears, reacting on France Inter to the words of Bruno Le Maire who, two minutes earlier, had just refused to call for a vote for the LFI candidates against the RN. “Angry and dismayed”, she castigates the future ex-Minister of the Economy, “a coward and a privileged person”, and does not hide the feeling that invades her, quickly betrayed by her voice which breaks. An assumed emotion, which we see from the positive reactions aroused, that it has not harmed her point. On the contrary.
Of those of Valéry Giscard d’Estaingin 1994, overcome with emotion at the idea of seeing German troops parading alongside the French during the July 14 ceremony, in Barack Obama When talking about children killed by firearms, the tears of leaders are not new. “Reading this kind of image would have been very different three decades ago,” explains Christian Le Bart, a university professor of political science and author of The emotions of power. Tears, laughter, anger of politicians (Armand Colin, 2018). Until the 1990s, the idea that a politician had to contain himself, control his emotions, was predominant, just as an emergency doctor had to keep his cool”. Before becoming a communication tool like any other, and consequently, a form of expression that was less and less rare: “Where self-control, professionalism, brings a form of distance from the world, tears bring people together, they are a universal experience”, the teacher explains.
“Tears won’t always serve us”
Far from being perceived as vulnerable, Marine Tondelier conveyed during her radio appearance on July 1st a feeling of sincerity, sending the person who had just preceded her on air back to the image of a cold politician. And this seems to have found a certain echo in public opinion. According to a Elabe survey for Les Echos published on Thursday, July 11, the popularity rating of the environmental leader has increased by more than 10 points in one month, reaching 20% of favorable opinions. “Tears are seen as a sign of humanity provided that they are not feigned and that they refer to collective values,” adds the political scientist. Sobs of personal defeats would, for example, be experienced as much less legitimate. Similarly, they are part of a media grammar: “In the middle of the council of ministers, it would be inappropriate to cry!”
“Tears can sometimes be detrimental to us,” confirms Marion Fortin, professor of organizational behavior at the Toulouse School of Management: “although they generally arouse intentions of support, there is a risk that individuals in tears will be seen as less competent.” To be perceived as appropriate, emotions must therefore be expressed wisely with the right dosage, at the right time and in the right place. Either a form ofemotional intelligenceaccording to a concept popularized in 1995 by American psychologist Daniel Goleman. “Tears must be considered appropriate in the cultural context,” adds the teacher. “However, we know that they will not be received in the same way depending on the country but also on the gender.”
“A minefield for women”
The classic experiment by researchers John and Sandra Condry (Sex differences: A study of the eye of the beholder“Child Development”, 1976) is thus revealing of the clichés conveyed around the expression of emotions. Faced with the sobs of an infant, the participants who thought they were seeing a girl perceived these tears as sadness, those who thought they were dealing with a boy saw… anger. “These stereotypes will result in differentiated socialization, adds the specialist in the dynamics of equity at work. We will teach little girls more, for example, to express their emotions and to read those of others.” An asset, certainly, “very beneficial for group interactions”, but be careful, continues the expert: “Sharing feelings at work is also a minefield for women. It can penalize them, in particular for any manifestation of anger.”
Expressing emotions in public is therefore a perilous exercise. It is possible to improve one’s ability to transmit them but “it will take time”, assures Marion Fortin. “It is a skill inherited in part from socialization and that we cannot change 100%. A fragment also depends on each person’s personality”. A movement is taking place, however, in parallel: the way we look at the subject. “In management, emotion has long been seen as something negative that distracted us from performance, whereas we now know that it is essential”, adds the specialist. In the world of research, our feelings have never been examined so much. According to The Annual Review of Psychology in 2014, the annual production of scientific publications dealing with the role of emotion in decision-making has, in fact, increased from just under 50 in 2001 to almost 450 in 2013.
Finally, a sign of the times: the success of Inside Out 2in theaters since June 19. This film from Pixar studios offers a dive into the brain – and emotions – of Riley, who has become a teenager since the first part. With more than a billion in revenue worldwide in three weeks, it is on its way to becoming one of the most profitable animated films in history… Recognized as a real subject of interest and more socially accepted, emotional expression resonates particularly with new generations at work. “We see this in start-ups with bosses who have fewer filters,” confirms Marion Fortin. “But be careful, sharing everything can also cause problems!”