It took me years to understand that your co-workers are not necessarily a wise choice for adding to your circle of friends.
I learnt this the Hard Way, Here Is Why… The moment you overshare, your words become office gossip. That “cool coworker” will throw you under the bus when things go south. What you think is bonding, they see as leverage.
Most people at work are friendly to your face, but compete with you behind closed doors. Your wins? They envy them. Your losses? They secretly celebrate. Office loyalty disappears the moment promotions are on the line. The less you talk, the less ammo you give.
Mixing friendship with workplace politics only backfires. They’ll smile at you at lunch and report you to HR by afternoon. The real game is to be respected, not liked. Keep your circle tight, and keep it outside the office. The best thing you can do is focus on being excellent at your job, not popular. Don’t drink with coworkers. Don’t vent to coworkers. Don’t date coworkers. When you’re too familiar, they stop respecting you.
