Only 1/3 have an 'Uncle Marvin'
Only one-third of people report having had an adult in childhood who created conditions for them to be their authentic, feeling selves.
Snapshot · The Mel Robbins Podcast
How to Master Your Emotions & Never Get Angry or Bothered by Anyone
Explore episode
Jul 16, 2026
Where this was said
Intro: Why Emotional Intelligence Is the Skill 90% Were Never Taught
At 0:09 · chapter starts 0:00
Mel Robbins opens the episode with a relatable emotional confession: hitting send on a text you know will cause trouble, picking a fight with your spouse after a hard day, spiraling into negativity before a great opportunity. She names the feeling precisely — being 'stuck in reaction mode' — and poses the episode's central challenge: are you going to keep being controlled by your emotions for the rest of your life? The answer, she promises, is no. She frames emotional intelligence as a learnable skill that 90% of people were never taught, one that affects every domain of life — relationships, health, goals, and attitude. She then introduces Dr. Marc Brackett with his full credentials: founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, professor at the Yale School of Medicine's Child Study Center, author of over 200 scientific papers, advisor to Fortune 500 companies, and New York Times bestselling author of Permission to Feel, translated into 27 languages. The scale of his reach — an EI framework in 5,000 schools, 10 million students — establishes him not as a self-help personality but as a rigorous scientist.
90% never learned emotional intelligence
An estimated 90% of people were never taught emotional intelligence as a skill, despite it being a primary driver of life outcomes.
200+ scientific articles published
Dr. Brackett has published more than 200 scientific articles on emotions, decision-making, relationships, health, and performance.
EI framework in 5,000+ schools
Dr. Brackett's evidence-based emotional intelligence framework has been implemented in more than 5,000 schools serving over 10 million students.
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