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> I joke that the thing we get out of going to the office is to socialize. I understand the sentiment, but in-office socializing isn’t necessarily a bad thing

> I joke that the thing we get out of going to the office is to socialize. I understand the sentiment, but in-office socializing isn’t necessarily a bad thing or counterproductive. Sure, there are introverts who will insist on how much they despite in-office social norms and culture. There are also plenty of folks somewhere in between introvert and extrovert that appreciate the ability to spontaneously socialize in low pressure situations. That socializing can build rapport and overall happiness for folks. Remote work makes it challenging to do that without it feeling either very manufactured and typically self-selective for other extroverts; or a cheesy, clumsily organized “work event” that fails to attract much attention.

danaris 3y ago
I am very definitely an introvert, and I have many times registered my distaste for the usual kinds of in-office socializing. Far too often, it's forced, it's interrupting your normal work, and it feels like it's required, not merely to do, but to do well, in order to remain accepted and have a chance at advancement. What the GP describes sounds much better than all of that. It's not something that's just...a forced overlay on top of your daily work, making everything harder and more frustrating; it's a change from the routine, a time you're taking away from regular work to both socialize and work in a different way, and a chance to get fed on the company dime (which is generally a nice perk).