Arthur Brooks explains metacognition, the act of "thinking about thinking," and its role in emotional intelligence. By reflecting on our emotional life, we can evaluate signals from the limbic

Arthur Brooks explains metacognition, the act of "thinking about thinking," and its role in emotional intelligence. By reflecting on our emotional life, we can evaluate signals from the limbic system using our prefrontal cortex. This skill, like telling children to "use their words," helps adults interrogate emotions before reacting, fostering emotional health.

Metacognition is a developable skill; negative emotions are normal and signify a healthy brain. What matters is how we engage with them. This interview is from @The-Well, a publication by Big Think and the Templeton Foundation. [Become a Big Think member](https://bigthink.com/membership/) for exclusive content, or [read the full transcript](https://bigthink.com/the-well/use-metacognition-for-emotional-intelligence).