Disadvantages Of Emotional Intelligence

“All emotions are, in essence, impulses to act, the instant plans for handling life that evolution has instilled in us,” (Goleman). In other words, what we feel determines how we then act. Acting off of our feelings or emotions is a concept that does not exist in the rational world, yet thrives in the converse of what rationality is. Rationality is actions, thoughts, and behaviors based upon facts or reason. The converse is irrationality, where your actions, thoughts, and behaviors are based upon opinions or feelings. Taking these two very real concepts into mind, we can then conclude that we have two minds, one that thinks and one that feels (Goleman). These minds coexist and work together to create who and how we are. The rational mind

It is a, “meta-ability, determining how well we can use whatever other skills we have,” (Goleman). These “skills” allow us to regulate our mood, control impulse, and persist in the face of frustration. Essentially, emotional intelligence is all about how we deal with strong feelings and what we do with them. The main components of being emotional intelligent has been dived into five main phases: self-awareness, managing emotions, marshaling emotions, recognizing other’s emotions, and handling

“Self-awareness, in short means being ‘aware of both our mood and our thoughts about that mood,’ in the words of John Mayer,” (Goleman). Knowing both of these ideas can help us keep our control over emotions, and not letting them control us. “Emotions that simmer beneath the threshold of awareness can have a powerful impact on how we perceive and react, even though we have no idea they are at work,” (Goleman). Powerful emotions are a force that can easily take over your mind, and when they take over, it is like that feeling becomes you. Awareness of your emotions is just the first phase, and is not self-sufficient. After you understand what you are feeling, you must then be able control emotions when they happen. Emotions have the potential to take over both your thoughts and profoundly influence your behavior (Segal and Jaffe). Control is the game to emotional intelligence. The goal is to obtain a sense of control over powerful emotions, and not become its slaves