1

Running head: EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE: AN ASSET

Emotional Intelligence: An Asset

Andrea Lynaugh
Bryant and Stratton College
Phil 250
November 2, 2018
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE: AN ASSET 2

What makes us human is not our ability to feel, but our ability to be conscious of why we have
an emotion. “Humans experience about a dozen emotions in a week” as heard by Daniel
Goleman. Emotional intelligence can be defined as the conscious understanding of why we feel
the way we do. It’s not the what, but the why. Goleman advises not to let emotions cripple or
control us, but to try to analyze the reason for that feeling.
The most moving piece of Goleman’s video is his application of this concept to life. To be
emotionally intelligent is not to always look at the brightside, but to view all the facets of life.
This is a vital concept. When applied to various scenarios, this aspect doesn’t offer a band aid
solution, but it provides a dose of reality. When picturing a person going through the loss of a
loved one, you may tell them “at least they aren’t in pain anymore” or “at least you have such
good memories of them”. Although those words of comfort may help ease the pain, the
underlying message is “you shouldn’t be sad because…”. We spend a lot of time trying to find
happiness in situations that are not happy. Being in tune with our emotions can be as simple as
“you’re sad right now, and that’s okay”. Emotional intelligence involves hearing the good
message, but it also means that we can allow ourselves to just feel. No emotion is wrong, and
that is the basis of emotional intelligence.
This concept is an asset to the workplace, because it means an individual has control. It is
inevitable that a person will feel frustration or sadness, and this may occur during a single 24
hours. What matters is that the person knows that they can interpret their feelings. It is especially
critical that an employee can analyze their feelings without an inappropriate physical reaction.
Becoming angry or outwardly emotional can cripple a solution. An individual that is emotionally
intelligent can step back from the situation to consciously evaluate why they feel an emotion
towards the event without showing a physical reaction. Having this quality is one way to foster a
productive work environment.