Complaining Incessantly

With one exception, I really enjoy my coworkers. They're all incredibly capable people, easy to be around and work with, always helpful when I need assistance (and I need a lot). I'd also like to think they find me easy to get along with, not necessarily helpful, but also not a hindrance to their own work.

There's just one that frustrates me to no end. Sometimes, I need to marshal up the strength to interact with that coworker, before actually having to deal with the coworker. I've not had to do that in a very long time. It's not that this coworker is a bad person, I just can't reconcile the implicit arrogance and the air of superiority that make me feel like a second- or third-class citizen. (No, it's neither D.C. nor C.E.)

I think what hit home on this one was a meeting behind held in the lobby. This coworker was sitting on the two person couch, and rather than sit down next to them, I plopped down on the floor directly next to the couch. What made this worse was that a fellow coworker had also foregone the couchable seating. I made up some bullshit story about needing to sit on the floor after spending all day in a chair.

There have been times where he'll walk into my office, and almost immediately upon entry, I'll get so mad that I'll start to reverse his comments and throw everything right back at him that he says. Or when he's trying to make a joke, I'll either ignore him or say "Fuck you." I've even had to rant to officemates about him. Lord help me if we get posted to the same project.

This is probably a life lesson here. There are going to be people that rub you the wrong way. You just have to try not to flip out on them. I haven't been entirely successful, but I think I can do better, at least on the not flipping out. We'll see.