Like secondhand smoke, the leakage of emotions can make a bystander an innocent casualty of someone else's toxic state.

Self-absorption in all its forms kills empathy, let alone compassion. When we focus on ourselves, our world contracts as our problems and preoccupations loom large. But when we focus on others, our world expands. Our own problems drift to the periphery of the mind and so seem smaller, and we increase our capacity for connection - or compassionate action.

Feelings are self-justifying, with a set of perceptions and "proofs" all their own.

People tend to become more emotionally intelligent as they age and mature.

Happy, calm children learn best

Emotional self-awareness is the building block of the next fundamental emotional intelligence: being able to shake off a bad mood.

The ability to handle stress increases with the practice of meditation. In a culture like ours in which inner, spiritual growth is totally neglected in favor of materialistic pursuits, we might have something to learn from the Hare Krishna devotees' meditational practices.