Courses

What does it mean to be emotionally intelligent—and how do we unlock the potential for its practical power? Emotional intelligence, or emotional quotient (EQ), is a recent term that means having the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one's emotions. But analysis of emotional versus rational human nature is as old as writing itself. Recent decades have seen a revolution in our understanding of decision-making, motivation, influence, and interpersonal connection, but amid all that progress, understanding our emotions can still feel elusive. Psychologist Jonathan Haidt introduced the useful analogy of humans as “rational riders upon emotional elephants”—the rider thinks logically, and the elephant can be steered but often moves and reacts through powerful and unpredictable instincts.

This course will explore emotional intelligence in two ways: First, we’ll examine how the discoveries and rediscoveries about our emotional selves apply broadly by peeking through lenses of ancient philosophy (both Eastern and Western), mindfulness, yoga, sports and performance psychology, advertising, and the newer fields of behavioral finance and economics. Second, we’ll sample ways we can work with our unconscious emotional selves through meditation, journaling, somatic body practices (exercise and simply walking), and interpersonal dialogue. Our approach will be light and fun. We will not dive deeply into the work of retraining our proverbial elephants; rather, we will explore the fulfilling ways in which an understanding of our emotional selves can provide valuable, practical insights and opportunities throughout life.