The 45 best quotes by Daniel Goleman

A collection of unique thoughts from the father of emotional intelligence.

Daniel Goleman is best known for his theory of emotional intelligencea concept that enjoys great popularity today. Emotional intelligence stems from Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences.

This psychologist postulates that there is no unitary intelligence, but that there are multiple intelligences, and each one can have a greater mastery in one (or several) of them. Emotional intelligence, then, would be part of the intra and interpersonal intelligence of which Gardner spoke.

• If you want to know more about emotional intelligence, you can visit our post: "What is Emotional Intelligence? Discovering the importance of emotions".

Daniel Goleman's best quotes and reflections.

The concept made famous by Goleman is very popular in the field of psychology, and is applied in different fields, such as mental health, work, education and sports.

In this article you can find a compilation of the best phrases of Daniel Goleman.

1. The meaning of the transfer of moods between two people ranges from the most expressive to the most passive. However, some people are particularly prone to emotional contagion, since their innate sensitivity makes their autonomic nervous system (an indicator of emotional activity) more easily activated.

Some people are more sensitive than others. They feel emotions more intensely..

2. Socrates' teaching "know thyself", to be aware of one's feelings at the very moment they occur, is the cornerstone of emotional intelligence.

Self-knowledge is key to emotional intelligence and to people's well-being.

3. When people are at ease is when they work best.

When people are where they want to be working, then they are in a state of flow and are more productive.

4. Intense negative emotions absorb all of the individual's attention, hindering any attempt to attend to something else.

Emotions are composed of three states: physiological, cognitive and behavioral.

5. Without selective attention, experience would be complete chaos.

Selective attention allows us to pay attention to a given stimulus.

6. Self-deception operates at the level of the individual mind as well as at the collective level.

A quote about self-deception that will surely make you think about it

7. The ease with which a society disdains, and even buries, dissenting views obviously depends on the set of gaps shared by its citizens. We do not realize what we dislike to see and we do not realize that we do not realize what we do not realize.

We live in a society that does not educate us to be emotionally intelligent people.

8. Self-mastery requires self-awareness plus self-regulation, key components of emotional intelligence.

Being aware and controlling emotions are undoubtedly virtues of human beings.

9. If there are two moral attitudes that our times urgently need, it is self-control and altruism.

Unfortunately, in the West, we live with materialistic and selfish values.

10. Do not allow the noise of other people's opinions to silence your inner voice. Most importantly, have the courage to do what your Heart and intuition dictate. In a way, you already know what you really want to become.

It is not always easy to have the right self-knowledge. However, it is key to personal development.

11. Emotions affect our attention and performance

Emotions cause changes in our behavior. For example, attention

12. Prolonged emotional stress can hinder a child's intellectual faculties and thus hamper his or her ability to learn.

Emotional tension, in the long run, causes what is known as emotional fatigue.

13. The key to achieving a high collective IQ is social harmony.

Goleman's emotional intelligence explains that IQ is not an indicator of success in life, but is influenced by other variables.

14. In a very real sense, all of us have two minds, a thinking mind and a feeling mind, and these two fundamental forms of cognition interact to build our mental lives.

Goleman distinguishes emotional thinking from rational thinking.

15. The new breed of natives of this digital world are as skilled at using keyboards as they are clumsy at interpreting, in real time, the behavior of others, especially when it comes to noticing the consternation caused by the speed with which they interrupt a conversation to read a text message they have just received.

Developing one's personality through social networks has an effect and a price in face-to-face life.

16. Real achievement depends not so much on talent as on the ability to keep going despite failures

Talent is an important part of achieving success. However, there are other factors that keep us alive in difficult times.

17. It is important to bear in mind that impulse is the vehicle of emotion and that the seed of all impulse is an expansive feeling that seeks to express itself in action.

For Goleman, impulse and emotion are linked. When living with other people, it is necessary to control them.

18. People tend to treat collective problems as if they were the responsibility of others.

It is easier to blame others than to look at oneself and change.

19. Looking directly into the eyes opens the door to empathy.

Empathy is an indispensable emotional skill when we want to relate to others.

20. It is the combination of reasonable talent and the ability to persevere in the face of failure that leads to success.

Emotional intelligence allows us to stay afloat even in difficult times.

21. For many of us, it is a luxury to have time of our own during the day when we can lie down and reflect. These are, as far as creativity is concerned, some of the most valuable moments of our day.

Goleman, talking about reflection. Undoubtedly, a key aspect of personal development.

22. Interpersonal intelligence is the ability to understand others: what motivates them, how they work and how best to cooperate with them.

In order to relate to others, we must master interpersonal intelligence.

23. Guilt, shame, and fear are the immediate motives for cheating

Blaming others and feeling shame and fear are not conducive to a person's personal growth.

24. At best, IQ appears to contribute only 20% of the determinants of success

IQ is only a small part of success in life.

25. Self-awareness involves a deep understanding of one's emotions, strengths, weaknesses, needs, and impulses.

Being aware of one's emotions and what is happening in the here and now is necessary for greater well-being.

There is perhaps no psychological skill more essential than that of resisting impulse.

Emotional regulation is necessary to be able to live with others.

27. Leadership is not synonymous with domination, but the art of convincing people to work together to achieve a common goal.

The good leader is the one who seduces others with charismatic personality and persuasive skills.

28. Empathy always involves an act of self-awareness.

Although empathy is related to understanding others, it is based on self-knowledge.

29. By taking over our attention, technology is hindering our relationships.

New technologies have changed the way human beings relate to each other.

30. The ability to express one's feelings is a fundamental social skill.

Although sometimes difficult, cowing our emotions and expressing them is vitally important.. We are social beings.

31. Feelings justify themselves, with a series of perceptions and "proofs" in themselves.

Our emotional side creates justifications to suit itself.

32. Fear, in evolution, is of great importance; perhaps more than any other emotion, it is crucial for survival.

This emotion has served to keep us away from all kinds of dangers thanks to emotional memory.

33. One of the main missions of leadership is to shift attention to where it should be focused.

The management of priorities and objectives is, according to Goleman, one of the pillars of leadership.

34. Life is a comedy for those who think and a tragedy for those who feel.

One of Daniel Goleman's most allegorical and interesting phrases.

35. Exploration means that we are able to move from a given focus of attention to seek new possibilities.

Sometimes, a mental framework that is too rigid can limit us.

36. Rumination can also strengthen depression by making us believe we are more depressed.

Loop thinking, or rumination, makes our problems seem overblown.

37. Your focus determines your reality

A simple statement about the power of perception over our ideas.

38. Of all the dimensions that make up Emotional Intelligence, empathy is the easiest to recognize.

One of Goleman's phrases about the concept he helped popularize: emotional intelligence.

39. Dreams are private myths, and myths are shared dreams.

A nice reflection on the symbolic and the oneiric.

40. Good work requires experience, ethics, enthusiasm and excellence.

Goleman talks about what he believes are the pillars of professionalism and effectiveness.

41. If there is a bad mood at the top, there will probably be a bad mood in the rest of the organization.

Emotions are also contagious.

42. Emotional lack of control is an obstacle to the work of the intellect.

Not being able to manage well how we experience our emotions can cause us to sabotage ourselves.

43. Feelings play a very important role in navigating the constant decision making that is life.

When it comes to judging what our lives are like, rationality is overrated.

44. True compassion means not only to feel the pain of the other but also to feel compelled to help him/her.

Feeling compassion is of no use if it does not cause us not to perform actions different from what we would do if we did not feel that.

45. One aspect of successful relationships is not so much how compatible we are, but how we manage our incompatibilities.

Knowing how to deal with potential problems is something that leads to healthier relationships.