Emotional intelligence is a crucial part of the negotiation process. Indeed, emotions play a very fundamental role in the search for a resolution of a dispute. Conflicts of interest most often have an emotional side. These emotions are often misunderstood and poorly taken into account. If it seems that taking emotions into account is a risk during a conflict of interest, the opposite is quite true. Involving the emotions of the parties involved helps the negotiator find a solution by understanding their points of view and most likely what they actually want from the negotiation. Since it is virtually impossible to separate people from their emotions, it is essential to incorporate those emotions into negotiations and use them to improve outcomes. An individual with higher emotional intelligence is therefore much better placed to find an appropriate solution by controlling and managing the emotions involved. Ignoring feelings in a conflict situation therefore seems to be a very poor approach to successful negotiation[footnoteRef:4] (Kelly and Kaminskiene 2016). [4: Edward J. Kelly; Natalija Kaminskyne (2016). Importance of emotional intelligence in negotiation and mediation, International Comparative Jurisprudence, 2(1), pp. 55-60. ]Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay To begin with, according to studies conducted, higher emotional intelligence has been attributed to better leadership skills and better job performance; which results in better negotiation skills. A higher emotional quotient (EQ) allows one to manipulate one's emotions and those of others, which undoubtedly puts one in a much better position when it comes to negotiating. One who has a stronger grip on his emotions is able to direct his subject's emotions in a direction that ultimately favors his side in negotiations, or to get the subjects/parties to reach an agreement, based on their terms . Contrary to popular belief, taking emotions into account complicates the conflict less and does not lead to uncontrollable behavior on the part of adversaries. People who are unable to resolve their emotional problems may fail in negotiations and mediation[footnoteRef:5] (Schreier 2002). However, this only applies when the emotions involved are correctly discerned. [5: L. Schreier. Training in emotional intelligence and mediation. Conflict Resolution Quarterly, 20 (1) (2002), pp. 99-119.] On the other hand, emotions can have a negative effect when manipulated maliciously. This can lead to a person's attention being diverted from the important issues at hand, being unable to think without hindrance, or being placed in a position where they can be manipulated[footnoteRef:6] (D. Shapiro 2005). Negative emotion such as disgust, fear, and anger decreases the parties' desire to work together and often leads to win-lose negotiation scenarios and presents very little chance of joint gain situations[footnoteRef:7] (Shapiro 2009). Emotional intelligence and its development are therefore essential. [6: D. Shapiro, R. Fisher. Beyond Reason: Using Emotions in Negotiation, Penguin Books, New York (2005).] [7: D. Shapiro. Untapped power: emotions in negotiation. Negotiation: Readings, Exercises and Cases, McGraw-Hill, New York (2009), pp. 139-146.] The role played by emotional intelligence in negotiation cannot be ignored, alongside cognition and decision-making. However, few studies have been carried out on the.