💡 Wisdom & Inspiration
101+ Emotional Intelligence Quotes
Discover wisdom from leading experts, researchers, and thought leaders about the power of emotional intelligence
106+
Inspiring Quotes
82
Categories
50+
Expert Authors
∞
Inspiration
Definition
"Emotional intelligence is the ability to sense, understand, and effectively apply the power and acumen of emotions as a source of human energy, information, connection, and influence."
— Robert K. Cooper
Business
"The greatest ability in business is to get along with others and to influence their actions."
— John Hancock
Balance
"Emotional intelligence is not the opposite of intelligence, it is not the triumph of heart over head—it is the unique intersection of both."
— David Caruso
Understanding
"Your EQ is the level of your ability to understand other people, what motivates them and how to work cooperatively with them."
— Howard Gardner
Skills
"The emotionally intelligent person is skilled in four areas: identifying emotions, using emotions, understanding emotions, and regulating emotions."
— John Mayer
Development
"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."
— Daniel Goleman
Expression
"The ability to express an emotion is as important as the ability to control it."
— Anonymous
Influence
"Emotions are contagious. We've all known it experientially. You know after you have a really fun coffee with a friend, you feel good."
— Daniel Goleman
Self-Awareness
"Self-awareness is not just relaxation and not just meditation. It must combine relaxation with activity and dynamism."
— Deepak Chopra
Change
"The greatest revolution of our generation is the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives."
— William James
Choice
"Emotional intelligence is a way of recognizing, understanding, and choosing how we think, feel, and act."
— Joshua Freedman
Wisdom
"The art of being wise is knowing what to overlook."
— William James
Empathy
"Empathy is about finding echoes of another person in yourself."
— Mohsin Hamid
Connection
"The only way to change someone's mind is to connect with them from the heart."
— Rasheed Ogunlaru
Success
"Emotional intelligence is the key to both personal and professional success."
— Travis Bradberry
Human Nature
"When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures bristling with prejudice and motivated by pride and vanity."
— Dale Carnegie
Leadership
"The best leaders are those who can connect with people at an emotional level."
— John Maxwell
Intelligence
"Emotional intelligence is more important than IQ in determining success in life."
— Daniel Goleman
Management
"The ability to understand and manage emotions is crucial for effective leadership."
— Peter Salovey
Soul
"Emotions are the language of the soul."
— Karla McLaren
Self-Control
"Self-control is strength. Calmness is mastery. You have to get to a point where your mood doesn't shift based on the insignificant actions of someone else."
— Morgan Freeman
Control
"Emotional intelligence is the ability to make emotions work for you, instead of against you."
— Justin Bariso
Stress
"The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another."
— William James
Intelligence
"Emotional intelligence is not about being emotional. It's about being smart with emotions."
— Marc Brackett
Regulation
"The ability to regulate emotions is the foundation of emotional intelligence."
— Peter Salovey
Empathy
"Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another, and feeling with the heart of another."
— Alfred Adler
Definition
"Emotional intelligence is the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one's emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically."
— Oxford Dictionary
Application
"The emotionally intelligent person can harness emotions and apply them to tasks like thinking and problem solving."
— Peter Salovey
Awareness
"Emotional intelligence is about being aware of your emotions and using that awareness to manage yourself and your relationships with others."
— Travis Bradberry
Success
"The most successful people are those who can understand and manage their emotions effectively."
— Daniel Goleman
Management
"Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify and manage your own emotions and the emotions of others."
— Peter Salovey
Excellence
"In a high-IQ job pool, soft skills like discipline, drive and empathy mark those who emerge as outstanding."
— Daniel Goleman
Relationships
"The emotionally intelligent person has the ability to manage relationships, navigate social networks, influence and inspire others."
— Howard Gardner
Professional
"Emotional intelligence is not a luxury you can dispense with in tough times. It's a basic tool that, deployed with finesse, is the key to professional success."
— Harvard Business Review
Monitoring
"The ability to monitor one's own and others' feelings and emotions is the essence of emotional intelligence."
— John Mayer
Behavior
"Emotional intelligence is the something in each of us that is a bit intangible. It affects how we manage behavior, navigate social complexities, and make personal decisions."
— Travis Bradberry
Achievement
"People with high emotional intelligence are more likely to succeed in everything they do."
— Daniel Goleman
Love
"The emotionally intelligent person knows that love is a skill, not just an emotion, and requires wisdom above all."
— Alain de Botton
Thinking
"Emotional intelligence is the ability to use emotion to facilitate thinking, understand emotions and regulate emotions."
— Peter Salovey
Attitude
"The greatest discovery of any generation is that a human can alter his life by altering his attitude."
— William James
Honor
"Emotional intelligence is learning to acknowledge and honor feelings—yours and others'—and to respond to them appropriately."
— Judith Orloff
Data
"The emotionally intelligent person understands that emotions contain data and should be attended to and deciphered."
— Marc Brackett
Perception
"Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive emotions, to access and generate emotions so as to assist thought."
— John Mayer
Foundation
"The foundation of emotional intelligence is self-awareness—knowing what you feel and why you feel it."
— Travis Bradberry
Outcomes
"Emotional intelligence is not about being nice; it's about managing your emotions to achieve the best possible outcomes."
— Justin Bariso
Observation
"The emotionally intelligent person can step back and observe their emotions rather than being consumed by them."
— Susan David
Impact
"Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand the impact of emotions on behavior and performance."
— Reuven Bar-On
Effectiveness
"The most effective leaders are those who understand their own emotions and can read the emotions of others."
— Daniel Goleman
Harmony
"Emotional intelligence is about creating harmony between what you think, feel, and do."
— Joshua Freedman
Temporary
"The emotionally intelligent person knows that emotions are temporary and can be managed."
— Susan David
Pressure
"Emotional intelligence is the ability to stay calm under pressure and make rational decisions."
— Travis Bradberry
Information
"The key to emotional intelligence is understanding that emotions are information, not instructions."
— Marc Brackett
Bridge
"Emotional intelligence is the bridge between thinking and feeling, between self and others."
— Claude Steiner
Navigation
"The emotionally intelligent person can navigate the complexities of human relationships with grace and skill."
— Daniel Goleman
Expression
"Emotional intelligence is not about suppressing emotions, but about expressing them appropriately."
— Peter Salovey
Greatness
"The ability to understand and respond to emotions is what separates good leaders from great ones."
— John Maxwell
Foundation
"Emotional intelligence is the skill of skills—it affects everything else you do."
— Travis Bradberry
Growth
"The emotionally intelligent person can turn emotional challenges into opportunities for growth."
— Susan David
Presence
"Emotional intelligence is about being present with your emotions without being controlled by them."
— Judith Orloff
Relationships
"The most successful relationships are built on emotional intelligence and mutual understanding."
— John Gottman
Alignment
"Emotional intelligence is the ability to make emotions work for you instead of against you."
— Justin Bariso
Purpose
"The emotionally intelligent person understands that every emotion has a purpose and a message."
— Karla McLaren
Critical
"Emotional intelligence is not a soft skill—it's a critical skill for success in the modern world."
— Daniel Goleman
Effectiveness
"The ability to regulate your emotions is the key to personal and professional effectiveness."
— Travis Bradberry
Understanding
"Emotional intelligence is about understanding the emotional undercurrents in every situation."
— Peter Salovey
Inspiration
"The emotionally intelligent person can inspire and motivate others through emotional connection."
— John Maxwell
Choice
"Emotional intelligence is the ability to be aware of your emotional state and choose your response."
— Viktor Frankl
Calm
"The most emotionally intelligent people are those who can remain calm in the storm."
— Dalai Lama
Positive
"Emotional intelligence is about creating positive outcomes through emotional awareness and management."
— Travis Bradberry
Reading
"The emotionally intelligent person can read between the lines of human interaction."
— Daniel Goleman
Foundation
"Emotional intelligence is the foundation of all meaningful relationships."
— John Gottman
Empathy
"The ability to empathize with others is the cornerstone of emotional intelligence."
— Carl Rogers
Honesty
"Emotional intelligence is about being emotionally honest with yourself and others."
— Brené Brown
Transformation
"The emotionally intelligent person can transform conflict into collaboration."
— Marshall Rosenberg
Acceptance
"Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand that emotions are neither good nor bad—they simply are."
— Susan David
Change
"The most powerful tool for change is emotional intelligence applied with intention."
— Joshua Freedman
Safety
"Emotional intelligence is about creating emotional safety for yourself and others."
— Amy Edmondson
Opportunity
"The emotionally intelligent person can find opportunity in every emotional challenge."
— Susan David
Dance
"Emotional intelligence is the ability to dance with your emotions rather than fight them."
— Rumi
Response
"The key to emotional intelligence is learning to respond rather than react."
— Stephen Covey
Choice
"Emotional intelligence is about understanding that your emotions are valid, but your behavior is your choice."
— Mel Robbins
Connection
"The emotionally intelligent person can create connection even in difficult conversations."
— Difficult Conversations Authors
Wisdom
"Emotional intelligence is the ability to hold space for all emotions while choosing wise action."
— Pema Chödrön
Environment
"The most emotionally intelligent leaders create environments where others can thrive emotionally."
— Daniel Goleman
Curiosity
"Emotional intelligence is about being curious about your emotions rather than judgmental."
— Susan David
Vulnerability
"The emotionally intelligent person understands that vulnerability is a strength, not a weakness."
— Brené Brown
Values
"Emotional intelligence is the ability to stay connected to your values even when emotions run high."
— Susan David
Surfing
"The key to emotional intelligence is learning to surf the waves of emotion rather than being swept away by them."
— Jon Kabat-Zinn
Meaning
"Emotional intelligence is about creating meaning from your emotional experiences."
— Viktor Frankl
Gift
"The emotionally intelligent person can find the gift in every emotional experience."
— Oprah Winfrey
Presence
"Emotional intelligence is the ability to be with what is, while working toward what could be."
— Susan David
Paradox
"The most emotionally intelligent people are those who can hold paradox—feeling deeply while thinking clearly."
— Parker Palmer
Honor
"Emotional intelligence is about creating a life that honors both your head and your heart."
— Martha Beck
Compass
"The emotionally intelligent person understands that emotions are the compass that guides us toward our values."
— Susan David
Human
"Emotional intelligence is the ability to be fully human—to feel deeply and act wisely."
— Maya Angelou
Observer
"The key to emotional intelligence is understanding that you are not your emotions—you are the observer of your emotions."
— Eckhart Tolle
Harmony
"Emotional intelligence is about creating harmony between your inner world and your outer actions."
— Deepak Chopra
Peace
"The emotionally intelligent person can find peace in the midst of emotional storms."
— Thich Nhat Hanh
Transformation
"Emotional intelligence is the ability to transform emotional energy into creative and productive action."
— Julia Cameron
Self-Love
"The most emotionally intelligent people are those who can love themselves through all their emotions."
— Kristin Neff
Agility
"Emotional intelligence is about being emotionally agile—able to navigate the full spectrum of human emotion with grace."
— Susan David
Temporary
"The emotionally intelligent person understands that emotions are temporary visitors, not permanent residents."
— Rumi
Freedom
"Emotional intelligence is the ability to create emotional freedom—to choose your response to any emotional situation."
— Viktor Frankl
Balance
"The key to emotional intelligence is learning to be emotionally honest without being emotionally reckless."
— Brené Brown
Values
"Emotional intelligence is about understanding that your emotional reactions reveal your deepest values and needs."
— Marshall Rosenberg
Beauty
"The emotionally intelligent person can create beauty from the raw material of human emotion."
— Maya Angelou
Ready to Discover Your Own EQ Story?
These quotes inspire, but your personal EQ assessment reveals the specific insights you need to unlock your potential.
Take Your EQ Assessment