Emotional intelligence is considered an essential trait for everything from being a desirable romantic partner to having a successful career. But what do we really mean when we say “emotional intelligence,” and how can we become emotionally intelligent over time? In today’s episode of the Being Well Podcast, Dr. Rick Hanson and Forrest Hanson discuss what’s “in” emotional intelligence, balancing emotional closeness and distance, and how we can become more self-aware, emotionally regulated, and empathic.

Key Topics:

• 0:00 – Introduction
• 1:35 – What’s emotional intelligence?
• 4:20 – Curiosity, care, and rational vs. emotional decision making
• 9:40 – The five domains of emotional intelligence
• 11:30 – Courage
• 19:00 – Competence, capacity, and application
• 24:10 – Anger, and discerning wants and needs
• 25:55 – Self-awareness
• 30:00 – The stories we are drawn to
• 33:10 – Empathy
• 45:15 – Self-regulation
• 49:40 – Widening the space
• 52:35 – The feelings beneath the feelings
• 53:55 – Feeling overwhelmed by others, boundaries, and differentiation
• 1:02:20 – Recap