ABSTRACT
There has been substantial confusion in the field of emotional intelligence (EI). People seem to disagree on what EI is, what it predicts, and whether EI is distinctive from traditional measures. Despite all these disputes, EI continues to attract substantial interest from both the public and from scientists. What is so appealing about EI? Perhaps people recognize a fundamental paradox: science has helped us to gain amazing control over our external world, yet we have made little progress it getting control of our internal, emotional worlds. For example, we can travel around the world in less than a day, but we don't seem to have made much progress in reducing road rage, racism, murder, and suicide. If we look honestly at the human condition, we must admit that emotional unintelligence is everywhere. People may be turning to EI, perhaps hoping that it will help them get control of their lives.
