5 August 2026

When logic isn't enough 🧠

Some decisions are wise. Even when they don't seem entirely logical. Last week, I attended the 10th International Congress on Emotional Intelligence at Yale University, celebrating 35 years of the construct. I met the field's two founders, Peter Salovey and Jack Mayer, along with some terrific scientists and practitioners from around the world. And if you've been following my work, you'll know that emotional intelligence underpins almost everything I do. But I nearly didn't go. On paper, the reasons to skip it were more compelling than the reasons to attend: I had only just returned from the US a couple of months ago. Flights, accommodation and registration aren't cheap. And... let's be real... most conferences don't quite live up to the brochure. Yet I felt the pull. So I went. And I'm now convinced it was exactly where I needed to be. This is what interests me about emotional intelligence. Yes, part of it is cognitive – our ability to perceive, understand and reason with emotions in ourselves and others. But I think there's another part. It's embodied.

For me, emotional intelligence is knowing the difference between an emotion that distorts your thinking, and one that reveals something your thinking has missed.

It's knowing when to say yes and when to say no. Even to a conference. That isn't the absence of logic. It's logic, plus emotional attunement. I actually learned the other day that AI can now outperform humans on traditional tests of emotional intelligence. Which suggests that these tests are particularly good at measuring the cognitive part – identifying emotions, interpreting situations, and selecting an appropriate response. But the embodied part? That deeper knowing? I think it's still ours. And after 35 years of the construct, I suspect that's where the next 35 years may take us. Where might your logic be missing something your gut already knows? It’s something I’m thinking about on this sunny day in NYC. Enjoy the rest of your week.

Keep feeling,
Nathan