Monday, March 7, 2011

Office Space

The Daily Diatribe
Joshua Herdt 3/7/2011




"A man's manners are a mirror in which he shows his portrait." -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe


How do you treat your fellow co-workers?

Anyone who has ever worked in an office environment can tell you that it’s certainly a conglomeration of personalities.  Even on a daily basis you can’t be sure exactly what you’re going to get.  What’s more, entire TV sitcoms have been based upon the stereotypical people that dominate the office scene. Who hasn’t seen The Office?

In my own opinion office environments are indicative of the lack of social etiquette that has begun to defile out culture.  Whether it’s forgetting your manners or taking the time to say ‘hello’, it’s no secret that we often forgo the yip-yap in a rush to get things done.

Why?

I often ask myself why office neighbors treat each other with such blatant disrespect.  It seems that at every turn some one is lambasting someone else.  What causes this remorseless attitude?  Is it because we work together every day?  Or, are we so disillusioned by our paper shuffling that we’ve forgotten what truly matters: How we treat one another.

What further amuses me is that I often hear the older folks in my office complaining about the lack of manners in American Youth.  They look down their noses at their younger co-workers when they are just as guilty.  I couldn’t tell you the number of times I have some one correct my speech, slap me with sarcasm, or go out of their way to make me feel inferior or less intelligent in comparison to them.  In fact, I would say that offices today are bloated with over inflated ego’s all looking to make themselve’s look better.

If anything, I’ve found that offices are a zoo of insecurities.  I would like to think it’s these insecurities and NOT human indecency that plague so many of us.  That of course, would be a teaspoon of wishful thinking mixed with a tablespoon of theory.

What is it that makes us go out of our way to give someone else a hard time?

What has happened to the idea of team cooperation?

I believe if we all offered a bit more patience and a little more sincerity we could go a long way in improving our work place. 

I'm sure there will be more of this diatribe to come.

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