What can a writer's reference guide teach us about emotional intelligence? This reflection on The Emotion Thesaurus explores the connection between emotional vocabulary, self-awareness, empathy, and the power of finding the right words for our inner experience.
Reflections on Inside Out 2
In these reflections on Inside Out 2, renowned psychologist Dr. Paul Ekman explores the film's portrayal of anxiety, embarrassment, envy, and identity formation. Drawing on decades of emotion research, he examines what the movie gets right, where it departs from the science, and why emotional awareness matters during adolescence.
Embrace Empathetic Listening with Perspective-Getting
What if the key to empathy isn't imagining what someone else is experiencing, but asking and listening deeply enough to find out? Drawing on the work of Stanford psychologist Jamil Zaki, this article explores the shift from perspective-taking to perspective-getting and how it can transform our conversations and relationships.
A Dictionary of Feelings and Needs: Feedback Project Word of the Day: Afraid
Why We Created the Dictionary of Feelings and Needs
Embracing Emotionality: Eight Foundational Beliefs About Our Emotions
What Inside Out 2 Reveals About the Diversity of Emotions
What does Inside Out 2 reveal about the science of emotions, and what might it have left out? Drawing on emotion science, sociology, and the humanities, Demond Hill Jr. explores the film's portrayal of adolescence, anxiety, identity, and belonging while making a compelling case for the importance of love, grace, and empathy in emotional well-being.
Five Practices for a Healthier Emotional Life
What can Inside Out 2 teach us about living well with our emotions? Drawing on insights from leading emotion scientists including Dacher Keltner and Marc Brackett, this article explores five evidence-based practices—self-compassion, awe, gratitude, connection, and kindness—that can help us embrace the full spectrum of human emotions and cultivate greater well-being.
What are your Unfelts costing you?
What Are Your Unfelt Emotions Costing You? explores the relationship between emotional literacy, emotional intelligence, and leadership effectiveness. Drawing on the work of the Conscious Leadership Group, the article argues that emotions contain valuable information and that leaders who suppress or ignore their feelings may pay a price in resilience, decision-making, authenticity, trust, and overall effectiveness.
The State of the Heart Report
The 2024 State of the Heart Report from Six Seconds paints a sobering picture of global emotional wellbeing. Drawing on emotional intelligence assessments completed by tens of thousands of people worldwide, the report highlights declining emotional intelligence scores, increasing burnout, growing loneliness among younger generations, and the challenges facing individuals and organizations in a rapidly changing world.
Awakening Each Other Through Love
In a world increasingly marked by polarization and violence, John Kinyon reflects on the "power-over" systems that separate us from empathy, care, and cooperation. Drawing on principles of Nonviolent Communication, he explores how empathy for ourselves and others can become a path toward healing divides and awakening one another through love.
Good Company: Moe's Books
Nonviolent Communication and Boundaries
One of the most persistent misconceptions about Nonviolent Communication is that it requires us to be endlessly accommodating. This article explores a different view: that healthy boundaries are acts of self-care, clarity, and connection. Drawing on NVC principles, it examines needs, requests, interruption, saying no, and the distinction between protective and punitive uses of force.
Halve Your Stress in Seconds: The Power of Naming Emotions!
Can simply naming what you're feeling reduce stress? Research suggests it can. In this short video, John Ford explores psychologist David Rock's observation that noticing and naming emotions can help calm the nervous system and reduce emotional intensity. Emotional literacy is not just about finding the right words. It is also a practical tool for regulation and wellbeing.
The Power of Trust
On Fear and being Afraid
In this excerpt from the Atlas of Emotions, Dr. Paul Ekman explores fear as one of the universal human emotions. He examines fear's triggers, physical sensations, facial expressions, vocal cues, and evolutionary purpose, while highlighting the important role fear plays in protecting us from harm and helping us respond to danger.
Why Does Empathy Matter in Forgiveness?
Forgiveness is often discussed as a decision or an act of letting go, but Emily Hooks argues that empathy is one of the essential capacities that makes forgiveness possible. In this thoughtful essay, she explores the role empathy plays in forgiving others, extending compassion to ourselves, and finding freedom from resentment and judgment.
Good News about Emotional Intelligence (as it relates to AI)
As artificial intelligence transforms the workplace, what uniquely human skills will become more valuable? Drawing on research from Microsoft, the BBC, and a large meta-analysis of emotional intelligence studies, Daniel Goleman argues that emotional intelligence, adaptability, and self-awareness will remain essential for career success in an AI-powered world.
Six Ways to Deal With Someone Who Wronged You
Empathic Listening 101
What does it mean to truly listen empathically? This introductory guide explores six core listening practices: presence, following the speaker's lead, encouragement, empathizing, clarification, and summarizing. Together, these skills help people feel heard, understood, and connected while reducing misunderstanding and conflict.