[MichaelGG]

No. "Emotional intelligence" is a label applied to soft things so they can say "But normal intelligence isn't the only kind of intelligence! You can be smart in other things, too!" Or provide quips like "Well, you've got a high IQ, but your EQ has a long way to go."

Arguing over definitions and labels is usually unproductive. I think in this case, it does dilute the idea of intelligence (being able to reason abstractly), while at the same time, increases the emphasis on high intelligence.

We'd all be better off just defocusing on intelligence, as a: there's little control you have over your intelligence, and b: it matters far, far, less than what some of us programming types might think, and c: focusing on an innate skill tends to come at a cost of not focusing on perseverance and work ethic, which matter far more.

Personally, I wish there'd been less emphasis on how smart I was as a kid; perhaps I'd have more discipline. But alas, thinking about algorithms causes far more short-term reward than, say, cold calling, yet the latter is far more likely to generate success for me.