Ever hear the expression "money can’t buy happiness"? Have or haven’t, you need to listen to the study affirms that the phrase was in fact true. Posted by George Washington Review, a study indicates a high-paid lawyers are not automatically going to be happy.
The study titled "What Makes Lawyers Happy?" This is a collaboration of two United States’ professors with different scientific backgrounds. The first was Lawrence Krieger, a law professor at Florida State University. Krieger’s partners are Kennon Sheldon, a professor of psychology at the University of Missouri. In conducting this study, Krieger and Sheldon conducted a survey in four states. Total respondents of this study is 7200 people but only 6200 of people who are willing to give complete data. They claim to work as judges, lawyers, and other related professions. The core of this study is to correlate between welfare (well-being)/Wealth and happiness (satisfaction).
Are Lawyers Happy?
Krieger and Sheldon,Through the study,as proclaimed at Abajournal page, Krieger and Sheldon obtain some interesting findings. For example, lawyers working in large law firm plus a flashy position was not as happy as a public defender. Then, a junior partner with big salaries do not happier than a senior associate. Lastly, this is the most interesting, the judge turned out to be a profession that has the highest level of happiness.
"The study shows a consistent indication that the happiness of a lawyer is not automatically associated with material, prosperity and prestige, but more about enjoying the work, usefulness, and the chance to help people in need," concluded in the Krieger and Sheldon’s study.
From the findings obtained from the study, Krieger and Sheldon issued an appeal to prospective students that if they want to choose a law school should be resting on personal values and ideals rather than the pursuit of prestige and material.
"Law Students usually Work Hard in order to obtain high marks, even compromising the health and social life. They think 'I'll be happy, because the American dream is mine'. That's a good thing, but unfortunately not in line with reality, "said Krieger.
Krieger and Sheldon argued that That successful paradigm, has to be changed since the period of study. One of the best students in the faculty of law must be instilled from the beginning of understanding that pursuing material success doesn’t mean as much.
If they pursued only material, then a law student it is difficult to find happiness if they later graduated from college and entering the workforce. According to Krieger and Sheldon, roles related to changing the paradigm of success should be run by the lecturer in lectures and superiors in the workplace.
An article in the New York Times blog tried to link the findings of the Krieger and Sheldon’s study with other studies. For example, on the mental health of a person who is a legal practitioner. Based on studies conducted by Johns Hopkins in 1990 declared that lawyer suffered depression 3.6 times than non-lawyer profession.
In addition to the study, data related field such as the suicide rate among lawyers also presented in this article. For example, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that in the period 1999-2007, 54 percent of lawyers tend to be more potential to suicide than any other profession.
What is described above is referring to the conditions in the United States.
Lawyers: The Most Unhappy People
It is undeniable that the lawyers is a profession that considered a guarantee to be wallowing in material and luxury. Youngsters flock to law school and dreamed of being a Cool lawyer. But, Do They Happy After Become A Lawyer? Wait a minute...
Lawyers turned out to be the least healthy and the most unhappy People. Lawyers suffer from depression, anxiety, hostility, paranoid, and socially isolated, obsessive-compulsive syndrome and syndrome of interpersonal sensitivity in alarming levels.
Research conducted by Notre Dame University with John Hopkins University showed that statistically, there are three professions from the 104 highest profession that suffers Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). They are lawyers, teachers, preschool, special education teachers, and secretaries. Lawyers are in the top, and suffer from MDD was 3.6 times higher than non-lawyer.
Lawyers also suffer from addiction to alcohol and using drugs at a level that is much higher than other professions. A group of researchers found that the number of alcoholics among lawyers is twice against the average of alcoholism among adults.
While other research group estimates that 26% of lawyers used cocaine at least one to two times than the average population. One of three lawyers suffer from clinical depression, alcoholism or drug abuse.
Not surprising, previous studies indicate that the lawyer committed suicide or thinking of committing suicide far more often than non-lawyers. The lawyers chose to end his life by suicide because they couldn’t deal with the stress.
Many divorce attorneys!
Another bad news, the divorce rate among lawyers appear higher than the divorce rate among other professions. Felicia LeClere Baker of the Center for Contemporary Society Studies at Notre Dame University compared the occurrence of divorce lawyers in divorce among doctors.
The divorce study (used data from the 1990 census) LeClere found that the percentage of divorce lawyers greater than divorced doctor. Uniquely, the difference was clearly visible in women. Apparently, a lot more female lawyer whose marriage foundered in the middle of the road.
People who are not healthy - those who suffer from depression, anxiety, alcoholism, drug abuse, divorce, and suicide - can almost be defined as people who aren’t happy. The source of their unhappiness is the one thing that turned out to be a same, that is their job as a lawyer.
In general, the lawyers stated that they were unhappy with their careers. They will not be a lawyer anymore if they have a second chance. They also would not advise their children or others to become a lawyer. And, they hope to stop practicing law before the end of their life.
According to them, although the market for legal services has increased over the last few years, attorney’s moral has Down, especially in private law attorney.
Why do lawyers unhealthy and unhappy?
Many reasons are put forward by lawyers. They complained about the commercialization in the legal profession, how the practice of law has become just a business rather than a profession. They complained of the increasing pressure to gain and retain clients in the fierce market competition.
The lawyers complained about having to work in hostile environments. They complained about how they do not have control over their lives, and only rely on the mercy of the judge and the client.
They also complained about the lack of civility among lawyers. In addition, the lack of solidarity and loyalty among their partners. They also complained about the poor public perception of their profession. However, most complain about working hours.
Complaints regarding hours of work is not something new. In fact, according to the American Bar Association, lawyers had complained loudly how they feel living to work rather than work to live. How they were asked not to simply dedicated to the job, but to sacrifice their lives for the office.
But if you look at their "brutal" work schedules, the lawyer does have a reason to complain and feel confident that the longer the problem is getting worse, not better. Thirty years ago, most of the partners listed 1,200 to 1,400 working hours per year, and a large some associate between 1,400 to 1,600 Working hours.
Today, more than half associate and almost a quarter of a partner in private legal sector to record at least 2,000 working hours per year. At large law firms and prestigious, almost everyone working hours recorded nearly 2,000 hours. In fact, some of them recorded 2,500 hours or more.
Today, more than half associate and almost a quarter of a partner in private legal sector to record at least 2,000 working hours per year. At large law firms and prestigious, almost everyone working hours recorded nearly 2,000 hours. In fact, some of them recorded 2,500 hours or more.
Many studies have concluded that what makes a person happy is the nature of the work they do and the quality of their lives outside of work. Every hour they spent at their desk are not the things that bring joy and meaning to their lives.
The lawyers have lost the joy, like spending time with family, playing with children, relaxing with friends, visiting parents, watching movies, reading books, doing social activities, worship, work, travel, and others.
Apparently, a large income, flashy houses and luxury car collection - the fruit from the work 'like crazy' - does not make the lawyers happy. What is the meaning of all this wealth if They unhappy with their Life?.
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