# That guy at work I felt sorry for and befriended because no-one likes him... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 14, 2005, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-guy-at-work-i-felt-sorry-for-and-befriended-because-no-one-likes-him/321680 "2005-09-14T22:41:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2005, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-guy-at-work-i-felt-sorry-for-and-befriended-because-no-one-likes-him/321680/1 "2005-09-14T22:41:10Z")
I don’t like him. He’s a worthless repulsive bag of lard. An overgrown child. A lazy good for nowt toss pott. I don’t like it when my favourite people talk of resigning because of him. No I don’t like it at all. I wish I was there to have it out, but no I took my bank holiday lieu day. These day’s I’d rather be at work than not at work. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2005, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-guy-at-work-i-felt-sorry-for-and-befriended-because-no-one-likes-him/321680/2 "2005-09-14T22:46:09Z")
And I’d rather I didn’t insert apostrophes in rand’om places like my old boss used to. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2005, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-guy-at-work-i-felt-sorry-for-and-befriended-because-no-one-likes-him/321680/3 "2005-09-14T22:51:00Z")
Well, you befriended him; now use your newfound association as liscense to gently point out some of the things he might correct about himself. Either he listens to you and starts to shape up, or he gets pissed at you and _poof_, you’re back on the other side of the fence with everybody else. ---
**Author:** ![malkavia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malkavia/32/5621_2.png) [@malkavia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malkavia)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2005, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-guy-at-work-i-felt-sorry-for-and-befriended-because-no-one-likes-him/321680/4 "2005-09-14T22:53:43Z")
This is a good time to learn the “If everyone else hates someone, there’s usually a pretty compelling reason for it” rule. I recommend following **begbert2** ’s advice. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2005, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-guy-at-work-i-felt-sorry-for-and-befriended-because-no-one-likes-him/321680/5 "2005-09-14T22:57:09Z")
I might just try that. “You did x and it upset some people. why did you do x?” But I’ve tried it before. He’s as stubbourn as a mule. He thinks he’s god. And he is as flexible as cast-iron. No I might be better situated on the populous side of the fence. ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2005, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-guy-at-work-i-felt-sorry-for-and-befriended-because-no-one-likes-him/321680/6 "2005-09-14T23:57:55Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > I might be better situated on the populous side of the fence. Yes, you will be. Trust me, I know from experience. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-guy-at-work-i-felt-sorry-for-and-befriended-because-no-one-likes-him/321680/7 "2005-09-15T00:02:23Z")
> [@malkavia](#): > > This is a good time to learn the “If everyone else hates someone, there’s usually a pretty compelling reason for it” rule. I agree with this. I can get along with most people, but the few people I go out of my way to avoid are pretty much avoided by everyone else. When a bunch of different people with a bunch of different backgrounds and experiences can agree that one person is being an ass, then you can rest assured it’s not just “you.” ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-guy-at-work-i-felt-sorry-for-and-befriended-because-no-one-likes-him/321680/8 "2005-09-15T00:55:39Z")
You gave him the benefit of doubt. You are a good man. He removed the doubt. He is a tosser. ---
**Author:** ![Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/779978/32.png) [@Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazon_Floozy_Goddess)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-guy-at-work-i-felt-sorry-for-and-befriended-because-no-one-likes-him/321680/9 "2005-09-15T02:37:34Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > I agree with this. I can get along with most people, but the few people I go out of my way to avoid are pretty much avoided by everyone else. When a bunch of different people with a bunch of different backgrounds and experiences can agree that one person is being an ass, then you can rest assured it’s not just “you.” Aye. There’s something to be said for intuition. A friend of my mom’s used to be married to a guy who was a rude, boorish jerk. Nobody liked him, including her family, but he could be a charmer when he wanted to and she fell for it and married him anyway. A couple years later she found out he was cheating on her and divorced him. Good thing too - the woman he was cheating with? He married her - and then one day in the paper there was an article saying that he had been arrested for murdering her. Walked up to her while she slept and crushed her head in with a hammer. :eek: ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Madd\_Maxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Madd\_Maxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Madd_Maxx)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-guy-at-work-i-felt-sorry-for-and-befriended-because-no-one-likes-him/321680/10 "2005-09-15T11:36:00Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > \But I’ve tried it before. He’s as stubbourn as a mule. He thinks he’s god. And he is as flexible as cast-iron.\ Even cast iron can be bent with enough heat. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-guy-at-work-i-felt-sorry-for-and-befriended-because-no-one-likes-him/321680/11 "2005-09-15T13:07:48Z")
I dunno. Some people are just beyond hope. I mean, what are you going to say? “Everything about you is wrong. Go eat a bullet.” ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Goob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c77e96/32.png) [@Mr.Goob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Goob)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-guy-at-work-i-felt-sorry-for-and-befriended-because-no-one-likes-him/321680/12 "2005-09-15T15:19:20Z")
> [@slortar](#): > > I dunno. Some people are just beyond hope. I mean, what are you going to say? “Everything about you is wrong. Go eat a bullet.” Kind of hard on the teeth isn’t it? Swollowing the lead isn’t too healthy either.