One of the blogs that I read is Seth Godin’s blog. It has a ton of information on business . One of his posts this week was on emotional hand-washing . Here is the post ;

Emotional handwashing

Emotions are far more contagious than any disease. A smile or a panic will spread through a group of people far faster than any virus ever could.

When you walk into the office or a negotiation, then, wash your bad mood away before you see us. Don’t cough on us, don’t sneeze on us, sure, but don’t bring your grouchiness, your skepticism or your fear in here either. It might spread.

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The post made me think about how criminal defense lawyers carry themselves in the court room. If your loved one yelled at you before court or your kid didn’t do his homework or whatever upset you. You must wash those bad moods or feelings from your consciousness. Enter the courtroom with a smile on your face before you speak with the District Attorney . Be positive . Forget about what upset you this morning. It might make the difference in a favorable plea bargain. Save the bad mood for the police officer during a preliminary hearing .