THE USUAL SUSPECTS – OFFICE EDITION

The know it all, the serious one, the chic with the attitude (yes, it’s almost always a chic), the friendly one who says hi to everyone every single day, the sarcastic one who’s so sarcastic you can’t really tell when they are and when they aren't, the smooth one (yes, its almost always a dude), the annoying one who has a thing for bugging people, and everything in between. Everyone who works in an office knows that these characters NEVER miss out in any setting. And that, is what makes office life so interesting. So, let’s delve right into these characters.

In every place that I have worked (and they’re not many) I have always come across such characters. Let’s start with the know-it-all. The thing about this kind of person is that they started their persona way back in school so it’s a habit they can’t quite ditch. (It’s one thing to know everything and it’s another to think you know everything, so if you fall in this category then make sure you actually DO know everything.) This is the kind of person who never and I mean NEVER misses a chance to give their input, opinion, knowledge, you name it. Good thing about them is that they almost always have an answer to everything, but sometimes their answers are not always practical. And they can be very annoying. You can’t live with them sometimes, but you also can’t live without them.

The one with the attitude… this one has issues. I don’t know how else to explain it because, why would you give someone a look that could kill them if your eyes were a weapon? Unfortunately this is almost always a lady, though I have met guys with this kind of attitude as well. This one has a rude comment ready each time and when they don’t, the dagger look is enough. Avoid this person at all costs if you’re one of those people who get easily offended. Trust me they can bring out the bad in you, mess up your good mood and you could easily become as bitter as they are. If you’re one of those people with a heart bigger than the open skies, take time to find out what their problem is and turn their frown into a smile.

The serious one. Now, this is one person whom I don’t get. I can be serious and I can be very unserious and bubbly and all that. The latter sometimes wears me out and I need time to recover, but that’s beside the point. I honestly don’t get people who are so serious all the time. When do you laugh, play, let loose, have fun? No seriously, when? My take is that this person always has something they need to do and therefore no time to stop and chitchat with the rest.

The ever jolly, friendly one. Now this is one of those people who brighten up your day regardless of who you are. They always have a huge smile to give to anyone they come across, always in a good mood, have so much energy all the time (unless they’re sick), they are the kind of people who could hug your blues away. I love these people, but I wonder, don’t they ever get tired of smiling? Sometimes these kind of people find it very hard to focus and disrupt others who are busy focusing on their work. These guys are usually loud almost all the time. You just want to shush them sometimes or send them to a naughty corner :-)

The annoying guy. This is the kind who’s annoying not just because you think so, but because everyone thinks so and most importantly because they are. The kind who would interrupt a conversation without caring, the one who feels they have to talk to everyone, the one who has so much to say yet they end up saying so little, the one who would be the first to die in a movie just because they’re annoying. The one who can sour up your mood just from getting a glimpse of them, the one who’s always looking for attention... the annoying one.

In comes the sarcastic one. Now, I have friends like these and trust me, it doesn’t matter how long you’ve known them sarcasm just oozes out of their mouths and you’re a target. It’s a way of life for them really. Woe to you if you’re the target of their sarcasm. If you’re one of those bubbly ones or are not really keen on what they’re saying, you could completely miss their sarcastic comments towards you. They are not the nicest sometimes but they’re pretty cool people. Plus, you may never get to know that they’re not nice.

Another character is the quiet one. You know, the one who just observes people and makes up their own conclusions. Goodness knows what they’re thinking and why. Wouldn't it be easier just to ask and get an answer or get to know someone? I don’t think you would ever want to know what goes through their heads. It could be good but it could also be bad. And by the way most of the time they won’t share what they’re thinking in the first place. This kind of person can be so closed up and secluded you don’t get to know their second name.

There's the smooth dude who hits on anyone and everyone in the office. Yes, its almost always a dude. This one can charm the daylights out of you and if you fall prey to them, lets just say bitter wont even begin to describe how you'll end up. It doesn't matter what they say and how they say it or if they appear to be sincere... stay away from them. Yes they may be very good looking, but still. In this category is also the one who thinks they can hit on every lady in the office and yet they don't even have the charm or the looks to pull it off. they make you go, "Dude seriously?? Can you do what brought you to this office?" (As you  seriously roll your eyes). This one can bring out the attitude in anyone. 

One last one for the purposes of not turning this into a novel, is the oblivious or clueless one. This is one of those people who lives in their own world. Yes they’re in the office, but for some reason things just pass them by. They make you ask questions like, “Do you work here, or is it just your 3D image that comes to work?” I guess it’s just not worth it to keep up with other things that are not directly related to their work. I've interacted with characters like this some of who are not really that weird and some who are way up there on the weird scale. It could go either way when it comes to such characters.

If you don’t fall in any of these categories, and you probably do even though you won’t admit it, then you’re one of those who’s everything in between. You could be any of the above characters on different days and that’s alright. You like to switch things up deliberately or otherwise. So where do you lie? Be honest with yourself and know that ALL the characters I’ve talked about are very important and are needed to make office life exciting. So much so that I had to write about it. So which category do I fall into? Why don’t you tell me? :-)