Fear, in evolution, has a special prominence: perhaps more than any other emotion it is crucial for survival.

In a very real sense we have two minds, one that thinks and one that feels

Comparing the three domains, I found that for jobs of all kinds, emotional competencies were twice as prevalent among distinguishing competencies as were technical skills and purely cognitive abilities combined. In general the higher a position in an organization, the more EI mattered: for individuals in leadership positions, 85 percent of their competencies were in the EI domain.

One way to boost our will power and focus is to manage our distractions instead of letting them manage us.

Emotional intelligence begins to develop in the earliest years. All the small exchanges children have with their parents, teachers, and with each other carry emotional messages.

Women, on average, tend to be more aware of their emotions, show more empathy, and are more adept interpersonally. Men on the other hand, are more self-confident and optimistic, adapt more easily, and handle stress better.

The human brain is by no means fully formed at birth. It continues to shape itself through life, with the most intense growth occurring during childhood.