Permission to Feel: The Power of Emotional Intelligence to Achieve Well-Being and Success

Marc Brackett, founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, brings 25 years of research into a book that asks a surprisingly radical question: what if most of us were never taught how to feel? His RULER framework offers a five-step approach to emotional intelligence that starts not with managing emotions but with simply recognizing them.

Why This Book

Permission to Feel fills a gap that the other emotional intelligence books leave open. Goleman explains the science, Bradberry and Greaves give you strategies, but Brackett starts earlier in the process. His core insight is that most people cannot accurately identify what they are feeling, and that this emotional illiteracy undermines everything from workplace performance to personal relationships.

The RULER framework (Recognizing, Understanding, Labeling, Expressing, and Regulating emotions) has been implemented in thousands of schools and workplaces around the world. Brackett grounds the approach in both rigorous research and deeply personal storytelling, including his own experience with childhood abuse and the uncle who first gave him “permission to feel.”

What to Expect

A warm, accessible 304-page book that blends memoir, science, and practical framework. Brackett writes with empathy and clarity, making complex emotional science feel personal and immediate. The book works equally well for parents, educators, managers, and anyone who wants a healthier relationship with their emotions.