Law School

Why Are Law Professors So Unhappy? -- Part Three

By Jim Chen et al.

My post last Friday on Why Are Law Professors So Unhappy? -- Part Two has attracted a lot of commentary in the law prof blogosphere:

• Stephen Bainbridge (UCLA), Are Law Professors Unhappy? And, If So, Why? (Business Associations Blog)
• Peter Black (Queensland), Are Legal Academics Miserable? (Peter Black's Freedom to Differ)
• Eric Fink (Elon), Taking Stock, and Finding a Bull Market (Debris)
• Dave Hoffman (Temple), Bainbridge on Law Professor Well-Being (Concurring Opinions)
• Brian Leiter (Texas): Are Law Professors Unhappy? (Leiter's Law School Reports)
• Glenn Reynolds (Tennessee), Are Law Professors Unhappy? Not This One! (InstaPundit)
• Tom Smith (San Diego), Why Are Law Professors (and Everybody Else) Unhappy? (The Right Coast)
• Ilya Somin (George Mason), Are Law Professors Miserable, and If So Why? (The Volokh Conspiracy)
• Ilya Somin (George Mason), Some Evidence on Law Professors' Relative Job Satisfaction (The Volokh Conspiracy)

Much of the commentary argues that law professors have a great job and that most are happy with their jobs. I agree with both points -- my modest question is that, given how great this job is, why are some law professors so unhappy?

One possibility is that some may expect too much out of their jobs. Just as we can make idols out of our spouses, children, friends, fitness, houses, investment and retirement accounts, etc., pinning our happiness on our jobs is doomed to fail. My men's group recently read this great book on the proper place of work in our lives.

Another possibility is that this commenter is right:

Law professors blogging about their misery. Even your mother thinks you are a whiny little baby. Face it. Nobody cares. Suck it up. Life is tough. Wear a cup, and STFU.

Update:

• Kent's Imperative: The Miserable Professoriat
  
• Ilya Somin (George Mason), The Volokh Conspiracy: Law Professor Misery Roundup
  
• Jeff Yates (Georgia), Voir Dire: Caron's Roundup on Why Professors Are So Unhappy
  

Full post as published by MoneyLaw on December 31, 2007 (boomark / email).