ABSTRACT
Companionate love follows from a strong desire by the couple to be together and help each other. Consummate love is defined by emotional warmth, a desire for closeness and abiding commitment. This chapter explains the difference between being alone and loneliness. Being alone is healthy for many people as it provides time for thinking and personal growth. In all cultures, people demonstrate the ability to recognize facial expressions of human emotions, supporting a hardwired basis for sending and receiving emotional signals. Knowing when and how to express emotions is an important step in developing emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is distinct from intellect and cannot be predicted from either IQ scores or personality. Some gender research suggests that women possess a higher level of emotional intelligence. Cognitive and emotional intelligence are different concepts. The chapter concludes with a discussion of emotional intelligence, a relatively new concept in psychology.
