Permission to feel: the value of emotional intelligence

Generally speaking, when we use the word intelligent, we are referring to IQ or cognitive strengths. That’s the ability to process and understand information and use it to generate new knowledge.

But what about EQ or emotional intelligence? That’s the ability to manage and express one’s feelings and recognize those feelings in others. It turns out there are different kinds of intelligence.

This week, we talk about what it takes to recognize, understand, express and regulate your emotional life. We’ll look at how it connects you with yourself and others and how we can use it to make a better world. Our guest says that being an “emotional scientist” is a good place to start.

Psychologist Marc Brackett is the founder and director of the Center for Emotional Intelligence at Yale University. He’s the author of Permission to Feel: Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Help our Kids, Our Selves and Our Society.