Our Passions, when well exercised , have wisdom; they guide our thinking, our values, our survival. But they can easily go awry, and do so too often... the problem is notwith emotionality, but with the appropriateness of emotions and its expression. The question is, how can we bring intelligence to our emotions-and civility to our streets and caring to our communal life? (Goleman(1995 Page xiv)
Your attitudes and emotions, thoughts and desires, all reveal your ethics...Character is central to morality, and your emotions are central to your character. Halberstam 1993
If we are to raise kids who can think and act ethically, we don't begin with the thinking or the acting. We begin with caring- caring for our children and nurturing their innate ability to care; helping them to see themslves as both lovable and loving. Such an ethic is primarily about relationships, not principles or virtues, or values. It is not that principles, virtues, and values have no purpose. They do. In an ethic rooted in deep caring, they are in service to and at the service of that caring.-Barbara Coloroso 2005
The best time to begin is when the child is born. The second best time is now.
Salovey's basic definition of emotional intelligence can be used as a table of contents for studyiny emotions.
1. Knowing one's emotions:self awareness
2. Managing emotions
3. Motivating oneself
4. Recognizing emotions in others
5. Handling relationships
Reference
Berger, Janice (2000/2005) Emotional Fitness, Discovering our Natural Healing Power, Toronto: Penguin Group
Covey, Stephen R. (1989,2004) The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, New York: Simon and Schuster, 1989
Ekman, Paul, Ed (2008)A Conversation Between The Dalai Lama and Paul Ekman, New York: Henry Holt and Company
Goleman, Daniel (1995) Emotional Intelligence, New York: Bantam Books
Halberstam, Josshua (1993) Everyday Ethics, New York: Penguin
Nussbaum, Martha C (2001) Upheavals of Thought, The Intelligence of Thought, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Walton, Stuart (2004) A Natural History of Human Emotions<New York: Grove Press