Wearable technology, smart meters, and networked devices have generated an environment of abundant digital chatter. It’s now socially acceptable to compete with your FuelBand, send a text to your thermostat, and argue with Siri. Our eagerness to communicate with objects as we would a friend points to a new criterion for designing intelligent products. We want our technology to be smart, but also deeply personal. This presentation outlines the opportunities and risks associated with designing smart objects for emotional people. Through stories of emerging products and experimental research endeavors, it highlights the fine line designers must walk between enhancing the emotional intelligence of individuals, and replacing it.