On the Law Practice Today podcast, host Terrell sits down with psychologists Larry and D'Arcy, authors of Thin Skinned, to discuss research on how lawyers differ from the general public and how those differences affect both practice and personal life. Larry describes decades of data collection—first via a nationwide Myers-Briggs study of 3,000+ lawyers and later through 30 years using the Caliper Profile, now totaling nearly 10,000 lawyer assessments—showing seven atypical trait outliers, including high skepticism and notably low resilience and empathy. They explain that some traits are present before law school, while skepticism, resilience, and empathy are largely learned and can shift with time in law-office environments. The episode highlights practical, research-backed ways to build resilience, including reducing cognitive distortions, increasing positive emotions, and strengthening relationships, plus leadership strategies for creating resilience-friendly firm cultures.
00:00 Lawyers Get Thin Skinned
00:20 Podcast Intro Disclaimer
00:58 Meet the Authors
01:44 Larry's Path to Psychology
02:28 D'Arcy Joins the Project
04:15 30 Years of Lawyer Data
06:36 Seven Traits That Stand Out
09:29 Why Lawyers Differ
10:30 Skepticism Lowers Resilience
18:19 Nature, Nurture, and Selection
19:56 Four Buckets of Solutions
20:47 Bucket One Fix Negative Thinking
24:38 Bucket Two Build Positive Emotions
30:01 Bucket Three Relationships Matter
34:17 Where to Learn More
35:05 Final Thanks and Wrap Up
