EQ Working Definition

Reminder:  Emotional Intelligence (EQ) involves the ability to know what feels good, what feels bad, and how to get from bad to good in a way that results in positive outcomes; including the ability to recognize each of the four core emotions (joy, anger, fear, and sadness) quickly, obtain the information the emotion is attempting to convey, and exhibit actions and behaviors that tend to result in positive outcomes. Unfortunately, many try to get from feeing bad to feeling good by becoming involved with addictive behaviors, which tend to increase the likelihood of a negative outcome. When Goleman’s book on EQ was released in the mid ’90s, many had never even heard of EQ much less had any idea of what it really described or how it could possibly impact their lives.