Ep 107: Robin Steinberg | Holding compassion for others, even when they do the unthinkable

Rethinking Communication

Is there anything a person can do that makes them unworthy of our empathy, curiosity, or compassion?

What if they’ve done something truly heinous?

This episode features my conversation with Robin Steinberg, who spent 35 years as a public defender in New York representing people in court who couldn’t afford a lawyer, many of whom had undeniably committed horrific crimes.

In her book, “The Courage of Compassion: A Journey from Judgment to Connection,” and in this conversation, Robin makes the case that even in instances where a person has committed a crime, they are still worthy of being treated with dignity. While she acknowledges that even for her, practicing compassion for people who have committed crimes doesn’t always come instinctively, getting there is made easier by asking a question that creates a perspective shift — Would you want your entire worth as a person judged by the worst mistake you ever made?

Robin is on a mission to help people maintain their humanity throughout their experience in the United States legal system, which Robin says crushes people before they are ever convicted of a crime, even in instances where the accused is innocent.

I encourage you to listen closely to what Robin is advocating for. She’s not asking for excuses…she’s asking for curiosity.