“The emotional mind is far quicker than the rational mind; thoughts simply take longer to form than feelings.”
— Daniel Goleman
Simplified Meaning:
When we experience something, our emotions kick in really fast, while our logical thinking takes a bit longer to catch up. Imagine you hear a loud, sudden noise. Before you have a chance to think about what it might be, you feel scared. Your heart races, and you might jump. That’s your emotional brain reacting quickly to protect you. Later, you start to think and realize it was just a car backfiring. This slower process is your rational mind figuring out what actually happened. In life, our feelings often show up before we can fully understand a situation. It's important to recognize this so that we don't always react immediately based on emotion. For example, if a friend says something hurtful, your first reaction might be anger or sadness. If you give yourself a moment to think it through, you might realize they didn't mean to hurt you, or there might be a reason behind what they said. By waiting to let your rational mind catch up, you can respond in a more thoughtful and less impulsive way.