Can your work colleagues be friends?

At this age of cut-throat competition in our work lives, and we as human beings becoming increasingly complex as we grow older - can we really have good friendship with those associated with our work? Most of us do have pleasant and non-work conversations with our colleagues, we do often go out for lunches and dinners together - but can we really call them and trust them completely as friends?

Ur thoughts pls 😊

Originally posted by: *Jaya*

At this age of cut-throat competition in our work lives, and we as human beings becoming increasingly complex as we grow older - can we really have good friendship with those associated with our work? Most of us do have pleasant and non-work conversations with our colleagues, we do often go out for lunches and dinners together - but can we really call them and trust them completely as friends?

Ur thoughts pls 😊

no general rule of thumb here. assess them and make up your mind who is trustworthy and who is not😊 u can't use the same yardstick for all. not everyone is a backstabber or jealous kind. give them all a chance and then stick to the ones who proved to be worthy of your friendship and trust...cherish them....invest time in developing friendship with them😊

as far as the ones you go out for lunches etc, most are your colleagues and should not be confused with friends😊.

Originally posted by: *Jaya*

At this age of cut-throat competition in our work lives, and we as human beings becoming increasingly complex as we grow older - can we really have good friendship with those associated with our work? Most of us do have pleasant and non-work conversations with our colleagues, we do often go out for lunches and dinners together - but can we really call them and trust them completely as friends?

Ur thoughts pls 😊

if you distribute pedhas to the office when a peer gets promoted.. of course you consider him/her your friend and vice versa...😆 but if you mostly organize send off lunches.. you dont intend making any friends.. as a general rule...😆

Originally posted by: qwertyesque

if you distribute pedhas to the office when a peer gets promoted.. of course you consider him/her your friend and vice versa...😆 but if you mostly organize send off lunches.. you dont intend making any friends.. as a general rule...😆

🤣 🤣..

Originally posted by: *Jaya*

At this age of cut-throat competition in our work lives, and we as human beings becoming increasingly complex as we grow older - can we really have good friendship with those associated with our work? Most of us do have pleasant and non-work conversations with our colleagues, we do often go out for lunches and dinners together - but can we really call them and trust them completely as friends?

Ur thoughts pls 😊

Nope.. not possible.. If she is making more the you , she may look down upon you and if you are making more then her , you might as well think of her as your girl friday. 😛

Topic open per Maya_M 's input, thanks Maya...

Maya_M said

" ^^I felt both topics are entirely different. As I mentioned above,

This thread was about if one can separate professional and personal life as in can one really leave household problems when he goes to work etc. It was about an individual.

Jaya's question was can colleagues be close friends and about professional jealousy.

Moreover this thread is old and done. Just my thoughts. It is upto Mods to do as they please "

Originally posted by: *Jaya*

At this age of cut-throat competition in our work lives, and we as human beings becoming increasingly complex as we grow older - can we really have good friendship with those associated with our work? Most of us do have pleasant and non-work conversations with our colleagues, we do often go out for lunches and dinners together - but can we really call them and trust them completely as friends?

Ur thoughts pls 😊

In professional relationship, seeing various negative aspects that come naturally.. (think the big picture here..its competitive world...) limit personal involvement... personal and professional relationship don't mingle too well in most cases... depends on individuals to make a call but in most cases... no one in professional environment is there to make friends. Specially when your boss one day might give you a pink slip Vs keeping ur recommended friend for business gains😆

Why not... 😊

Just a question - what if your college or school mate joins the same office?? This ego problem persists everywhere.. Its not only in office.. Ya, maybe in office there is more ego due to huge crowd residing there..

Office colleagues may have jealousy, but they do help in many ways too.. When we need some help in work, they are there to help.. Infact I feel its through them that we develop the network of corporate friends...

Yes and No. You can be good friends with your colleagues outside work but there are always chances of professional resentment. If two colleagues cum friends vie for same position and one is chosen over another then some sort of resentment is natural. Such things happen all the times at work. The feeling need not be permanent but there is always that one factor which could come between two friends trusting each other completely. Still having fun outside work and being friends is possible. One need not discuss divisive office matters or play boss outside work. It should be same as how you would avoid discussing politics with a friend whom you know have other strong political affiliations. Asking too much from friendship is setting conditions and I don't believe in that.

Complete trust in my opinion is above the emotions of envy. A friend recently told me that even if I, in person, tell her that I hate her still she would think that she heard it wrong or it didn't happen😆. It is melodramatic😛 but that is trust. Very rarely one can find such trust in any relationship.

Originally posted by: Anu.Rad

Why not... 😊

Just a question - what if your college or school mate joins the same office?? that more like friends becoming collegues and not colleagues becoming friends...😊This ego problem persists everywhere.. Its not only in office.. Ya, maybe in office there is more ego due to huge crowd residing there..

Office colleagues may have jealousy, but they do help in many ways too.. When we need some help in work, they are there to help.. Infact I feel its through them that we develop the network of corporate friends...

People mostly mistake acquaintances for friends.. which is the mistake here