Emotional Labor

When we work in certain jobs, we’re expected to act a certain way and project a certain mannerism. Front-line customer service reps are expected to be cheery and upbeat. Servers in a restaurant are expected to be pleasant and helpful.

Doctors are expected to have a poker face…especially when the patient's going to die...and not on a House episode.

Emotional labor is the effort it takes to show the emotion that fills a role. It doesn’t mean the person’s a faker; they might just be exaggerating what they project outwardly. Or, in the case of the doctor, suppressing it.