Good points and fair enough! I guess my point was that it's kind of a false dichotomy, in that you can have happiness from work, and sadness from relationships

Good points and fair enough! I guess my point was that it's kind of a false dichotomy, in that you can have happiness from work, and sadness from relationships as well. But I think also they are inter-related, in that good relationships can bring about more meaningful work (job opportunities, people you can learn from, etc.) and good work can lead to relationships (people you meet at work, through work, customers, etc.) While you say that coworkers are considered a bit differently, I think that also depends on the type of job. In high pressure jobs, I think you are absolutely correct, but in some of the more "soul-crushing" jobs that you mention, the coworkers are the best part. I think some of the best coworker relationships I had were when I was making pizzas. People / relationships can also move on themselves (moving, death, other changes), so those aren't permanent either.