I’m less inclined to sugarcoat this topic than may be the case for other terms relating to psychobabble—psychotherapy speech or writing that uses psychological jargon, buzzwords, and esoteric language to create an impression of truth or plausibility.
I maintain that the term “emotional intelligence” is oxymoronic. Or, to be unnecessarily crass in regard to the matter, I think the term is bullshit!
Merriam-Webster defines emotional as of or relating to emotion. Emotion is thereby defined as a conscious mental reaction (such as anger or fear) subjectively experienced as strong feeling usually directed toward a specific object and typically accompanied by physiological and behavioral changes in the body.
Additionally, Merriam-Webster defines intelligence as the ability to learn or understand, or to deal with new or trying situations, and the ability to apply knowledge to manipulate one’s environment or to think abstractly as measured by objective criteria (such as tests).
Thus, emotions relate to feelings (i.e., joy, fear, anger, sorrow, disgust, surprise, etc.) and intelligence concerns one’s capacity to learn and understand knowledge. Given this layperson’s perspective, “emotional intelligence” is a misnomer… or merely bullshit.
Still, I understand that not everyone observes this term through a nonprofessional lens. As is the case with therapy speak—incorrect use of jargon from psychology, especially jargon related to psychotherapy and mental health—many clinicians use the term “emotional intelligence.”
To mental, emotional, and behavioral health care practitioners, the American Psychological Association (APA) defines emotion thusly:
[A] complex reaction pattern, involving experiential, behavioral, and physiological elements, by which an individual attempts to deal with a personally significant matter or event. The specific quality of the emotion (e.g., fear, shame) is determined by the specific significance of the event.
For example, if the significance involves threat, fear is likely to be generated; if the significance involves disapproval from another, shame is likely to be generated. Emotion typically involves feeling but differs from feeling in having an overt or implicit engagement with the world.
I appreciate an allusion to the distinction between emotion “(e.g., fear, shame)” and feeling, as “engagement with the world” is required in regard to a “complex reaction pattern.” Defining feeling, the APA states:
1. A self-contained phenomenal experience. Feelings are subjective, evaluative, and independent of the sensations, thoughts, or images evoking them. They are inevitably evaluated as pleasant or unpleasant, but they can have more specific intrapsychic qualities, so that, for example, the affective tone of fear is experienced as different from that of anger.
The core characteristic that differentiates feelings from cognitive, sensory, or perceptual intrapsychic experiences is the link of affect to appraisal. Feelings differ from emotions in being purely mental, whereas emotions are designed to engage with the world.
2. Any experienced sensation, particularly a tactile or temperature sensation (e.g., pain, coldness).
Given this distinction, feelings occur mentally – though differ from cognitive processes (i.e., “thoughts”) – and emotions require engagement with the world in order to form reaction patterns. Also, feelings may relate to “experienced sensation.”
Although feelings and emotions are used synonymously in common parlance, they differ from one another in psychological literature. Nevertheless, nowhere within the APA’s defining standard was there indication of feelings and emotions relating to an ability to learn (intelligence).
Turning to this matter, the APA defines intelligence as “the ability to derive information, learn from experience, adapt to the environment, understand, and correctly utilize thought and reason.” Here, one may infer that logic and reason relate to intelligence.
Merriam-Webster defines logic as the formal principles of a branch of knowledge. Alternatively, the same resource defines reason as a statement offered in explanation or justification, as well as the thing that makes some fact intelligible.
Noteworthy, a construct may follow logical form while not serving as a rational proposal. To illustrate this point, consider the following syllogism:
Form (modus ponens) –
If p, then q; p; therefore, q.
Example –
If all mortal beings die, then my life won’t eventually end.
All mortal being die.
Therefore, my life won’t eventually end.
This is an irrational proposal, as it doesn’t comport with logic and reason. Even though a logical construct is used, the reasonableness of the statement doesn’t follow. This is because I’m not an immortal being and I will surely die one day.
When considering this syllogistic example, you used intelligence to interpret the meaning of the logical and reasonable – or in this case illogical and unreasonable – proposal. However, you didn’t rely upon emotions when examining the sampled topic.
This is because emotion and intelligence isn’t the same thing. Emotions are irrational. They don’t make sense. From the perspective of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), using the ABC model, emotional reactions to situations are said to be driven by irrational beliefs.
In particular, when Activating events (“Actions”) occur and people maintain irrational Beliefs about the events, these unhelpful assumptions – and not the actual occurrences – are what create unpleasant emotive, bodily sensation, and behavioral Consequences.
In particular, there are four predominate irrational beliefs which people use: demandingness, awfulizing, low frustration tolerance, and global evaluations. Addressing these, the ABC model incorporates Disputation of unhelpful assumptions in order to explore Effective new beliefs.
As an example, suppose that when thinking about my inevitable death (Action) I unfavorably Believe, “No one should ever die, because it’s awful not being able to life forever!” It isn’t the experience of death or even knowledge of it that causes an unpleasant outcome for me.
Rather, the emotional Consequence of fear and the experience of dread I may develop are directly caused by my unfavorable attitude (belief). Thus, when Disputing in order to arrive at an Effective new belief, I don’t challenge the Activating event or the Consequence.
It would be downright delusional to Dispute whether or not I’ll actually die at some future time. Likewise, I don’t Dispute unpleasant emotive, bodily sensation, and behavioral Consequences, because those, too, are experiences which occur and which aren’t subject to rational challenge.
Again, emotions aren’t rational. Therefore, I don’t resolve an irrational phenomenon with rational examination. Rather, I contend with the unrealistic philosophy of life which caused the irrationally emotive experience. I challenge only the belief.
When considering the REBT perspective outlined herein, you didn’t use emotions to assess information. To suggest otherwise would be as wacky as the proposal regarding my supposed immortality.
With this understanding, I reject the nonsensical term “emotional intelligence,” which one source describes thusly:
Emotional intelligence (EI), also known as Emotional Quotient (EQ), is the ability to perceive, use, understand, manage, and handle emotions. High emotional intelligence includes emotional recognition of emotions of the self and others, using emotional information to guide thinking and behavior, discerning between and labeling of different feelings, and adjusting emotions to adapt to environments.
That descriptor is chockfull of cognitive terms, though purports to describe an emotive-centered process. I argue that the field of mental, emotional, and behavioral health doesn’t need the conflation of terms, because individual concepts which already exist are otherwise rendered utter bullshit.
Of course, people are welcome to disagree with me. I understand (intelligence) that people seem to adore and experience joy (emotion) in relation to psychobabble terms related to the subculture of therapeutic mumbo jumbo often promulgated on social media platforms.
“I’m working on my emotional intelligence,” a content creator may suggest while presumably being unable to discern the difference between a feeling and a thought. As long as such expressions make a person “feel” good, I guess that’s all that matters. Right?
If you’re looking for a provider who works to help you understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life—helping you to sharpen your critical thinking skills, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.
As a psychotherapist, I’m pleased to help people with an assortment of issues ranging from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.
At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply helping you to feel better, I want to help you get better!
Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW
References:
APA Dictionary of Psychology. (2018, April 19). Emotion. American Psychological Association. Retrieved from https://dictionary.apa.org/emotion
APA Dictionary of Psychology. (2018, April 19). Feeling. American Psychological Association. Retrieved from https://dictionary.apa.org/feeling
APA Dictionary of Psychology. (2018, April 19). Intelligence. American Psychological Association. Retrieved from https://dictionary.apa.org/intelligence
Daniel. (2023). Heart brain [Image]. NightCafe Studio. Retrieved from https://creator.nightcafe.studio/creation/2EAfeiJ9xmcbr93snsfD
Hollings, D. (2024, August 7). Awfulizing. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/awfulizing
Hollings, D. (2024, January 7). Delusion. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/delusion
Hollings, D. (2022, October 31). Demandingness. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/demandingness
Hollings, D. (2022, March 15). Disclaimer. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/disclaimer
Hollings, D. (2023, October 25). Facts don’t care about your feelings. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/facts-don-t-care-about-your-feelings
Hollings, D. (2023, September 8). Fair use. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/fair-use
Hollings, D. (2022, November 13). Fear. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/fear
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Hollings, D. (2023, October 12). Get better. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/get-better
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Hollings, D. (2024, August 27). Guilt and shame are choices. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/guilt-and-shame-are-choices
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Hollings, D. (2022, December 2). Low frustration tolerance. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/low-frustration-tolerance
Hollings, D. (2024, March 4). Mental, emotional, and behavioral health. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/mental-emotional-and-behavioral-health
Hollings, D. (2024, September 27). My attitude. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/my-attitude
Hollings, D. (2024, April 22). On disputing. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/on-disputing
Hollings, D. (2023, September 3). On feelings. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/on-feelings
Hollings, D. (2023, April 24). On truth. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/on-truth
Hollings, D. (2024, May 5). Psychotherapist. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/psychotherapist
Hollings, D. (2022, March 24). Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT). Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/rational-emotive-behavior-therapy-rebt
Hollings, D. (2024, April 21). Sensation. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/sensation
Hollings, D. (2022, October 7). Should, must, and ought. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/should-must-and-ought
Hollings, D. (2023, October 17). Syllogism. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/syllogism
Hollings, D. (2022, November 9). The ABC model. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/the-abc-model
Hollings, D. (2024, September 17). The E-C connection. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/the-e-c-connection
Hollings, D. (2024, September 25). Unrealistic philosophies. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/unrealistic-philosophies
Hollings, D. (2024, February 23). Wacky beliefs. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/wacky-beliefs
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