TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Feb 2, 2022

Lawyers are by nature pessimistic, having to envision the worst possible outcomes for clients and then work to protect them. Martin Seligman, a psychology professor at the University of Pennsylvania, says attorneys’ comfort with “catastrophizing” can carry over into their personal lives with negative ramifications. Seligman encourages attorneys to work to develop optimism – the belief that one can make a positive difference in the world now and well into the future. Optimism plays an important role in our lives, including creating perseverance while also fighting off depression. In a recent presentation, Seligman highlighted concrete actions that can help us shift from pessimism to optimism. Read more in the ABA Journal.