There is zero correlation between IQ and emotional empathy. … They’re controlled by different parts of the brain.

Goleman’s point is that cognitive horsepower (as measured by IQ) does not automatically confer the capacity to read, feel with, or respond appropriately to other people’s emotions. Emotional empathy depends on affective and social-information systems—skills like attunement, perspective-taking, and emotion regulation—that can be developed (or impaired) somewhat independently of analytic reasoning. The claim also pushes back against a common cultural assumption that “smart” people are therefore better at relationships or moral understanding. By locating empathy and IQ in different neural circuits, the quote frames empathy as a distinct human competence—one central to leadership, caregiving, and ethical behavior—rather than a byproduct of general intelligence.