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Don't you just hate meaningless chitchat especially at work?

posted 4 years ago by Eric56 (4580)
25 replies | jump to latest

I had that at a previous job I worked at. Small office of about 7-8 people with 2 men including me and the boss. Every morning we would huddle together for about 15 minutes and the middle-aged women especially would start chitchatting about everything in their life often full of negativity, meaningless 'fluff'. Often times, nothing to do with work. Meanwhile, I would just sit there and say nothing and listen to these gossip sessions every morning. They probably thought I was weird, stuck-up, snobby or rude for not participating but the truth is that I was a young 28 year old man (being the only visible minority in the office), and I had nothing in common with these women. It felt like a clique that I didn't belong in.

I am the type of person that likes to go to work, do my job yet be friendly with everyone else and then go home. BOOM. Done. That way, you avoid all the politics and drama. Introvert's paradise. I don't like the expectation that work should be your social life and if you don't participate in talking with your coworkers then you get labelled as aloof or not a 'team player'. The truth is coworkers are not your friends as they can easily stab you in the back to make themselves look good to their boss.

[–] Lily Magnum (250) 4 years ago

👍

[–] sslssg (27400) 4 years ago

You didn't have to join the huddle did you?

[–] Eric56 (4580) 4 years ago

Well, no, but it's an unwritten expectation. If I don't join in, then they'll say 'Well, he thinks he's way better than us. He's snobby/arrogant.' or 'He's not a team player'. It's a small office of about 7-8 people, so they'll notice if I don't go into the room during these sessions, so I felt pressured to go even when I didn't want to.

[–] Eye (0) 4 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Eric56 (4580) 4 years ago

That's a fascinating quote. I will tape that to my ceiling so I will wake up to it every morning.

[–] chilone (17251) 4 years ago

Also, whoever isn't present (you included) is the one(s) being talked about.

[–] [deleted] 4 years ago

Gossip here and there is okay, but the relentless complainer I can't stand.

It really brings down office morale.

[–] actionkamen (23176) 4 years ago

I'm okay with meaningless chitchat. I was working as a computer programmer in an outsourcing company so we never had to meet anyone else. Basically it's just like doing somebody else's homeworks.

Being a room full of computer programmers, we are basically all introverts. So chitchats were far few inbetween. And even then they would be like about newest techs or geeky things like that.

[–] tcrum (29616) 4 years ago

What else is there? Unless you talking to a really good friend. 99% of what we say is meaningless chitchat. Most people take it to an art form.

[–] Eric56 (4580) 4 years ago

I'm better suited at a workplace where there is no expectation to have these gossip sessions every morning then. I like the 'just go to work and then go home' attitude. That way avoid all the politics and drama.

[–] Furienna (3312) 4 years ago

This is pretty much my brother's story as well. It is very hard for him to connect with his co-workers since he wants to discuss politics and they don't.

From what I hear, these people are very shallow too. Like when it became clear that the Covid-19 was serious business, they only cared about the stock market. There were no considerations for the fact that people were actually dying!

Right now, my brother is unemployed because of the pandemic crap. But he thinks that he really was laid off because the boss didn't like him, and now he found an excuse to get rid of the "undesirables".

[–] Eric56 (4580) 4 years ago

Yeah, I don't do well in large groups. I prefer one on one conversations. I never talk politics because you can't trust coworkers and they may judge you for your political views.

I'm not there to do a 'song and dance' for my coworkers. It's not my job to 'entertain' them. I'm there to work.

[–] chilone (17251) 4 years ago

You summed it up 100% perfectly. I can't add anything. :)