Did you know that our emotional intelligence consists of 5 elements? We invite you on a journey into yourself.
Let us start with the principles:
- Emotions are information.
- We can try to ignore emotions, but it does not work.
- We can try to hide emotions, but we are not as good at it as we think.
- Good decisions must include emotions.
- Emotions follow logical rules.
Principle 1: Emotions are information
Emotions contain data about you and the world. They are not random, chaotic events disrupting thinking. They appear as a result of a certain factor that is important to you, they motivate you and lead to success. At the most basic level, emotions:
- appear due to some change in the world around you,
- activate automatically,
- quickly cause physiological changes,
- change the focus (attention) and way of thinking,
- prepare for action,
- cause personal feelings,
- quickly exhaust themselves,
- help cope, survive, and thrive in the world.
Emotions are a signal, and if you pay attention to what they signal, there is a good chance you will get out of a difficult situation, prevent a bad event, or cause a positive outcome.
Principle 2: We can try to ignore emotions, but it does not work
Emotions affect our performance in certain areas of life. It is simply amazing that although emotions have a huge impact on situation assessment, we are almost completely unaware of it. It does not matter whether we believe it or not - emotions and thinking are inseparably connected.
Social psychologist Roy Baumeister discovered that when people try to suppress emotions, they remember less information. Controlling emotions “consumes” our energy and attention that we could use for listening and data processing.
It is not that we should drown in a sea of emotions, but we can process basic information along with their emotional component. An emotionally intelligent person does not put on a smile every morning and does not try to look at everything positively, but experiences emotions and then uses their power as a starting point for a good, positive result.
Principle 3: We can try to hide emotions, but we are not as good at it as we think
Hiding emotions involves trying to change currently experienced feelings so that they match the currently desired emotions. Both surface acting and emotional labor are associated with, among other things, burnout and high staff turnover.
Attempts to hide emotions, although made consciously, do not bring the desired results. Ekman’s research on the relationship between facial expression and lying shows that a liar can be recognized by observing pauses and errors in their statements, as well as fleeting signals expressing feelings. Our desire to protect emotions or engage in purely rational activities in the workplace can end with failed decisions and an atmosphere of distrust.
Principle 4: Good decisions must include emotions
Our feelings are present in every decision we make. According to brain researcher Dr. Antonio Rosa Damasio, rational thinking cannot occur without emotions. It is emotions that make us real humans and strengthen rationality. Moods affect thinking in various ways. Positive emotions open us up to the environment and encourage us to seek and discover. Positive emotions give us much more than just a positive feeling:
- They develop our thinking,
- They help create new ideas,
- They encourage considering different possibilities.
Negative emotions are also very important because they improve thinking ability. Some of the effects of negative mood or emotions include:
- Greater visual acuity,
- Better noticing of details,
- Motivation to search for errors more effectively.
Negative emotions stimulate us to change actions or way of thinking. By narrowing our area of concentration, they inspire us to act. Compared to positive emotions, we experience negative ones more intensely. They signal the threat of danger, so we should deal with them more carefully. At work, it is often not about avoiding conflict and making others happy, but about effectiveness, which requires experiencing the full spectrum of emotions.
Principle 5: Emotions follow logical rules
Emotions arise for many reasons, but each emotion occupies some place on the intensity scale. If the event or thoughts triggering the feeling last longer, then that feeling will be stronger. Robert Plutchik proposed a model scheme of emotional functioning that determines their place on the intensity continuum. Eight main emotions are located on a wheel so that opposite feelings are across from each other. This model proves that feelings can combine to create more complex emotions.
Author: EITT Expert
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the five principles of emotional intelligence?
The five principles are: emotions are information, we cannot successfully ignore emotions, we are not as good at hiding emotions as we think, good decisions must include emotions, and emotions follow logical rules. Together they form a framework for understanding how emotions function and why they matter in every aspect of life.
Why is it harmful to suppress emotions at work?
Research by social psychologist Roy Baumeister showed that suppressing emotions consumes mental energy and attention that could be used for listening and processing information. This leads to reduced memory retention, potential burnout, and an atmosphere of distrust rather than genuine engagement.
How do positive and negative emotions each contribute to better decisions?
Positive emotions broaden thinking, help generate new ideas, and encourage exploring different possibilities. Negative emotions sharpen visual acuity, improve attention to detail, and motivate the search for errors. Both are essential for well-rounded decision-making and workplace effectiveness.
What is Plutchik’s model of emotional functioning?
Robert Plutchik proposed a wheel model where eight main emotions are arranged so that opposite feelings face each other on an intensity continuum. The model demonstrates that emotions can combine to create more complex feelings and that each emotion occupies a specific place on an intensity scale influenced by the duration and significance of its trigger.