For me (I hate working in an office -- it has a very serious negative impact on my mental health) I think you listed the exact reasons I hate it (there are many

For me (I hate working in an office -- it has a very serious negative impact on my mental health) I think you listed the exact reasons I hate it (there are many more): - "Discussing our team's latest Python problems over a coffee" -- the problems I have to work on at work I am not at all interested in talking about. They are boring. - "Looking over at their screen and then asking them why they look like they want to beat someone over the head with their keyboard repeatedly." -- I'm sure you are a lovely person, but I would find that very annoying. I am socially anxious and don't like attention being drawn to me in an open office - "Grabbing dinner with a few colleagues after a long workshop meeting in the evening" -- holy shit, workshop meetings suck. I don't want to be stuck in a tiny, smelly, windowless room with 5 other guys for 3 hours, and then also spend my free evening time with them. - "Have a lot of people realized they don't actually like being among other people" -- for 8+ hours a day, in an open office with no respite from them? YES!