Emotional intelligence

What an ideal world you would be in if you can always take a step back from a sticky situation and so you can be emotionally detached and deal with it constructively with no or little emotional involvement.

But in a situation where you are emotionally dependent on the other person or other people like in a relationship or in a family, can you really apply the same principle? Will it be at the risk of being heartless? We are not robot after all.

In Buddhism though, we are meant to be. All emotions - good or bad, elation or depression are defilements that one must strive to rid of. There is something intelligent about the Buddha teaching because it is so true. But you won't be emotionally mature if you succeed. You get to progress towards Nibbhana.