Showing Emotion

It is an unfortunate reality of our society that we are told, either implicitly or explicitly, that showing emotion is a sign of weakness. And of course, as attorneys we are trained to downplay weaknesses.

Add to that the societal messaging that to be manly means controlling emotions, possibly not even feeling your emotions, and we’re adding insult to injury with half the population. Yet we are not robots. On the contrary, emotions are an important way that our bodies communicate with us. In other words, emotions exist for a reason.

Indeed, ignoring or bottling emotions can be a source of internal stress that can exacerbate existing mental health conditions. It is one area where the subtle messaging we send as a profession and as a society needs to change.

And that change needs to happen with all of us. The LegalMind Society does it through our peer support programs and educational efforts, but all of us can be more mindful of the professional and societal norms that we are unintentionally promoting.

If we do that, then maybe together we can help shape a better profession and a better future.