Achieving and maintaining equanimity is critical in the courtroom battlefield and all battlefields.

The challenges to powerful equanimity abound. When we recognize and remember that sh*t coming from others is coming from their own roller coaster and suffering, and that we are the masters of our own mood and sense of well being, we are further along the path of achieving such equanimity.

Thanks to psychotherapist Shemsi Prinzivalli for a few years ago addressing this equanimity approach to not being offended. We might think we will not be offended so easily when a trespass is committed against ourselves, but what about when a verbal trespass is made in the form of a bigoted comment or a tirade against those near and dear to us? As Shemsi aptly underlines, most of the verbal garbage spewed by others is about them, and their own suffering. 

We can have compassion for even our worst enemies and their suffering without weakening ourselves. In fact, through compassion for others we strengthen ourselves in keeping our sensitivity, whereby our sensitivity helps us listen, and listening is an essential component of combat.

With the offensive person, keep the suffering in their own corner, unless and until it evaporates.