In this episode of the MindfulMess, Gene & Matt discuss emotional intelligence and empathy. What is it, and why is it important? How does it show up, and is it a nature or nurture phenomenon? We discuss the three different types of empathy and how they are expressed, and share some personal accounts of how we express and exercise emotional intelligence. We also ponder the intersection of emotional intelligence with both gender norms as well as queer identity. Matt challenges the notion of the golden rule by proposing a Platinum rule when regarding empathy, and Gene emphasizes his belief in curiosity discovering others’ emotions rather than assuming that we know how to read them. We both relate to each other over the realization that we have a hard time accessing great expressions of joy and explore the reasons why that might be. These topics and many more in this week’s episode. Thanks for listening!