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If we think about emotion this way - as outside-in, not inside out - it is possible to understand how some people can have an enormous amount of influence over others. Some of us, after all, are very good at expressiing emotions and feelings, which means that we are far more emotionally contagious than the rest of us.
Malcolm Gladwell
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote discusses how emotions can be influenced by external factors and how some individuals can affect the emotions of others.

Malcolm Gladwell's quote highlights the concept of emotion as being influenced from the outside in, suggesting that certain people possess the ability to express emotions in a way that significantly impacts those around them. This phenomenon of emotional contagion illustrates how some individuals can wield considerable influence over others through their ability to convey and share feelings effectively.

Themes

EmotionInfluenceExpressivenessContagion

In practice

Example use cases

This quote could be used in a workshop on emotional intelligence to illustrate the importance of emotional expression.

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