--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Emotions are faster than thoughts. That…" description: "\"“Emotions are faster than thoughts. That means emotion trumps competencies, behavior, and character unless we learn to be self-aware and channel our em..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c1/shawn-kent-hayashi-38573_emotion_emotions-are-faster-than-thoughts-that-m_493646.jpg" --- # Emotions are faster than thoughts. That means emotion… ![“Emotions are faster than thoughts. That means emotion trumps competencies, behavior, and character unless we learn to be self-aware and channel our emotions consciously.” quote by Shawn Kent Hayashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c1/shawn-kent-hayashi-38573_emotion_emotions-are-faster-than-thoughts-that-m_493646.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c1/shawn-kent-hayashi-38573_emotion_emotions-are-faster-than-thoughts-that-m_493646.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c1/shawn-kent-hayashi-38573_emotion_emotions-are-faster-than-thoughts-that-m_493646.jpg) > ““Emotions are faster than thoughts. That means emotion trumps competencies, behavior, and character unless we learn to be self-aware and channel our emotions consciously.”” [Shawn Kent Hayashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-kent-hayashi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Emotions act faster than rational thought, often overriding competence and character unless we cultivate self‑awareness and consciously channel them. **In simple terms:** Emotions outrun thoughts; need self‑awareness to manage. Key Takeaway Develop self‑awareness to guide emotions constructively. Themes emotional intelligence self‑awareness behavior competence Mood instructive motivational Type advice educational When to use this quote - leadership - teamwork - conflict resolution - personal growth Key Concepts cognitive bias mindfulness psychological regulation Questions to Reflect On - How do you notice emotions before they dictate actions? - What techniques help you channel emotions positively? A Different Perspective Emotions can dominate without practice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Emotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotion/) [Emotions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotions/) [Emotions Consciously](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotions-consciously-3026859/) [Emotions Faster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotions-faster-4219335/) [Eq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eq/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Means Emotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/means-emotion-4219336/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) ## Related quotes > [“We can experience an emotional hijack as a result of change, or we can self-regulate and catch ourselves before we head into an emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-kent-hayashi/we-can-experience-an-emotional-hijack-as-a-result-of-change-or-we-can/) [Shawn Kent Hayashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-kent-hayashi/) > [“Your health, your experiences, and your life do not have to be at the mercy of your negative emotions. 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Frame well. #marketing”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richie-norton/how-you-bring-people-into-your-home-is-just-as-important-as-when-they/) [Richie Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richie-norton/) > [IQ and EQ flow from mind and heart respectively.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tasneem-hameed/iq-and-eq-flow-from-mind-and-heart-respectively/) [Tasneem Hameed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tasneem-hameed/) > [“I am not a finished poem, and I am not the song you’ve turned me into. I am a detached human being, making my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-eriksson/i-am-not-a-finished-poem-and-i-am-not-the-song-you-ve-turned-me-into/) [Charlotte Eriksson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-eriksson/) ## More by Shawn Kent Hayashi > [“We can experience an emotional hijack as a result of change, or we can self-regulate and catch ourselves before we head into an emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-kent-hayashi/we-can-experience-an-emotional-hijack-as-a-result-of-change-or-we-can/) [Shawn Kent Hayashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-kent-hayashi/) > [“When people fight about something, the subject of the argument is rarely the real issue. The real issue is about vulnerability, connectedness, safety, trust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-kent-hayashi/when-people-fight-about-something-the-subject-of-the-argument-is/) [Shawn Kent Hayashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-kent-hayashi/) > [“With self-awareness we can change our inner conversation about what we are feeling and create different outcomes in conversations with others. 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People who learn from their experiences have significantly higher emotional intelligence than those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-kent-hayashi/it-takes-consistent-and-focused-practice-to-become-emotionally/) [Shawn Kent Hayashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-kent-hayashi/) > [“To move up the emotional ladder, you have to stop judging your own emotions. This is a key to getting unstuck emotionally, too. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-kent-hayashi/to-move-up-the-emotional-ladder-you-have-to-stop-judging-your-own/) [Shawn Kent Hayashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-kent-hayashi/) > [“...seven core emotions show up chemically in the body: Love, Joy, Hope, Sadness, Envy, Anger, Fear”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-kent-hayashi/seven-core-emotions-show-up-chemically-in-the-body-love-joy-hope/) [Shawn Kent Hayashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-kent-hayashi/) > [“You will be more emotionally aware when you are able to see the connection between the symptoms and what you are doing now. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-kent-hayashi/you-will-be-more-emotionally-aware-when-you-are-able-to-see-the/) [Shawn Kent Hayashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-kent-hayashi/) > [“Many people are stuck emotionally and do not even realize it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-kent-hayashi/many-people-are-stuck-emotionally-and-do-not-even-realize-it/) [Shawn Kent Hayashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-kent-hayashi/) [Explore all 11 Shawn Kent Hayashi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-kent-hayashi/) ## More Emotion quotes > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Of course I like you. It's because I like you I don't wanna be with you. It's a complicated emotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlin/of-course-i-like-you-it-s-because-i-like-you-i-don-t-wanna-be-with/) [Marlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlin/) > [In discovering books, you became free to explore the full range of human motives, desires, secrets, and lies. All my life, people have scolded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/in-discovering-books-you-became-free-to-explore-the-full-range-of/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) > [“Emotion as well as reason belongs to the very stuff of history.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-smalley/emotion-as-well-as-reason-belongs-to-the-very-stuff-of-history/) [Beryl Smalley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-smalley/) > [It definitely helps to have the acting experience going into singing, because when you're singing, you have to portray the emotion you were feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-newman/it-definitely-helps-to-have-the-acting-experience-going-into-singing/) [Ryan Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-newman/) > [It is not my intention to explain Turkey, its culture and its problems. My literature has a universal concern: I want to bring people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/it-is-not-my-intention-to-explain-turkey-its-culture-and-its-problems/) [Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/) > [For me, the term "psychotherapy" is limiting. It implies that we work with mind and emotions, but excludes the body and pays scant attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/for-me-the-term-psychotherapy-is-limiting-it-implies-that-we-work/) [Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/) > [People are disturbed not by things but by the view they take of them. They may forget what you said, but they will never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/people-are-disturbed-not-by-things-but-by-the-view-they-take-of-them/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [There cannot be any communication except through form. If there is no form, you cannot create emotion in the spectator.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-resnais/there-cannot-be-any-communication-except-through-form-if-there-is-no/) [Alain Resnais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-resnais/) > [A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, of the manifestations of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty - it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/a-knowledge-of-the-existence-of-something-we-cannot-penetrate-of-the/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [ Music \[is\] the third rail of life. You grabbed it to shock yourself out of the dull drag of hours. To feel something. To… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/music-is-the-third-rail-of-life-you-grabbed-it-to-shock-yourself-out/) [Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/) > [“What if each time you experienced an emotion, you acknowledged it, accepted it, and became curious about its message for you (instead of trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vironika-tugaleva/what-if-each-time-you-experienced-an-emotion-you-acknowledged-it/) [Vironika Tugaleva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vironika-tugaleva/) > [For war to man, like childbirth to women, is simplifying in its emotions and activities. All the real problems of life can be put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/for-war-to-man-like-childbirth-to-women-is-simplifying-in-its/) [Pearl S. 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