Would you befriend the office "know it all" ?
By ronnyb
@ronnyb (6113)
Jamaica
December 17, 2009 4:31pm CST
I have a friend who seem to know everything about what is happening in the office.I mean this guy tell me so many things it amazes me how he knows these things .I am not a a gossiper but I must admit that most of the things he tells me seem logical however I would never have figured them out .I mean this guys knows who is set to the next director of IT (both literally and figurately),he know who is getting what salary,why th edirector and secretary always stay behind after everyone and where the secretary is vacationing .He recently told me that the new guy in the IT department has money because his family is involved in real estate and how many cars he has access to .
Sometimes this things this guy tells me makes me scared at the fact that he knows me and makes wonder what he say about me behind my back.Another time I wonder if he really know what Do you know anyone like this and how would you deal with such a person ?
5 people like this
26 responses
@suzzy3 (8341)
•
18 Dec 09
Gosh mind what you say for goodness sake.keep your business to your self.I would not be rude but let him do the talking ,try not to answer him or give him an opinion which might get repeated.We always used to get someone like that in the kids playground,we all learnt to steer clear.They spend so much time interfering in other peoples lives they forget to have one and my experience is they get the wrong end of the stick and end up hurting someone bad.Just say you are not interested in other peoples business and if they are doing something it is up to them but nicer than that.Take care Happy Christmas to you and yours love sue.xxxxx
@daniellej (27)
• United States
18 Dec 09
I would be friends with him. It's really easy for me to make friends. But I wouldn't tell him ANYTHING about myself. It's just kind of scary ... he'll be telling your business to other people just like he's telling other people's business to you. And I wouldn't repeat anything he says to anybody. It'll just start office drama ... and no one likes that!
@ladym33 (10979)
• United States
18 Dec 09
I think I would just listen to him and not give up any information about myself that I don't want the whole office to know. I also would not give him any information about anyone in the office that I know that they would not anyone in the office to know. But I would probably sit there and listen to him, and smile and nod a lot.
@srganesh (6340)
• India
24 Dec 09
Well,some people are like that.They want to know everything about anybody and have some pleasure of knowing details.And they want to show their wisdom and so these gossips.Sometimes they can't get the right facts and so they do some guess works and more gossips are created.It is good to avoid these people whenever they come out with a new story.Then only they will stop such non senses.
@maygodblessu44 (7336)
• India
8 Jan 10
[b][/b]Hello my friend ronnyb Ji,
It is very much interesting to know that some people do watch everyone, it is their habit and as you feel may back-bite everyone and their secrecy may be endanger. One should becareful while dealing such charcters. Mingling and exchangiing of views may be limited to self only and further, one should listen to them without any comments. All the best.
May God bless You and have a great time.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
17 Dec 09
Be very wary of someone like that. He seems to be in the middle of everything and sounds to me as though he doesn't do any work but chooses to gossip instead. I once knew a guy who was exactly the same. I learned not to trust him in the end because he would talk about people in our team behind their backs (to me) and to their faces he would be all "sweetness and light." I never once betrayed THEIR trust so chose to keep schtum about the things he said. I am sure he probably spoke about me to them in a negative fashion so it evened itself out in the end. I just chose to keep my head down, get on with my work and go home.
@carolbee (16230)
• United States
21 Dec 09
I don't work any longer and am now retired. My opinion is I wouldn't let this fellow employee know to much about me if I was working with him. I understand your concerns about him telling things about you to others. And I wonder how accurate all his personal information about others really is and if he spends more time gossiping than actually working. He might get himself into trouble chatting about another employee's salary. That's uaually a big, red flag in an office situation. Good luck!
@Keola12 (820)
• United States
18 Dec 09
I most likely wouldn't befriend the office "know it all", in that such people get on my nerves. There is just no getting anywhere in a conversation with these people. This only results in frustration and aggravation, because the "know it all" people always think that they themselves are always right even though are wrong.
@Theresaaiza (10487)
• Australia
19 Dec 09
It depends on what area he or she is a know-it-all. If his knowledge is just vast then I guess I might as well keep him in my list of "whom to go to" in cases when I end up needing some valuable information or help with something.
But the way I understand your officemate, he knows-gossip-all, not know-it-all. Stay away from that. Before you know it, he's talking about you to someone else. :)
@audrey7 (232)
• Jamaica
22 Dec 09
Ronnyb would you believe that yesterday I gave a coworker a lift home and she amazed me by giving me the latest news on who was fired and for what reason.So I understand what you are saying. All that she she said seemed logical but I do not know how she knew so much; curiously, I asked how she came by this info and she told me through discussions with others. (although she does not come to the office that frequently).
I am very careful of persons like this. According to my mother she should not know your last word. For me 'mum' is the name of the game where she is concerned. I have learnt from my husband is that whatever you say to these persons are things that can be said on a housetop. In other words you say things that will not be news worthy nor will it be anything that can implicate you.
A Jamaican saying is 'ticka them'-meaning be careful of them and I do not want them to be my friends. Most times they are walking trouble.
@cindi1 (29)
• United States
18 Dec 09
Stay away from this guy!!! It will only get you in trouble and he is probably viewed by managment as a trouble maker. Your affiliation with him will make managment think the same. Then there are your other co-workers, you don't want them to think you are the same as him. Associating with this guy could only be bad news in the end.
@sunnycool (12714)
• India
18 Dec 09
hi ronny,some people are more enthusiastic to know about others than them selves coz there is nothing left to cherish about themselves so obviously they would go for the others working with him and you got to check with him that if he is sharing all these stuff with you or goes on spreading his latest news all over the department so you can make out easily that if he would do the same behind your back or not.gud day.
@maria1081 (1251)
• Philippines
18 Dec 09
I remember someone I knew while reading this topic. But he wasnt an officemate before, he was my classmate in high school and unexpectedly in college. At first meeting I knew that he has an attitude problem and self proclaimed know it all. I can say that he's not that smart but he's very studious. He lives by the book and answer by the book, thats why i dont consider him smart. He likes to interrupt in conversations without asking him his opinion. Who could never forget with an impression like that?
@lilgold (89)
• United States
18 Dec 09
Trust me i do, i literally ignore him and wonder about my own life and forget about what he ever says.people will always talk behind your back dude hat's why there called haters, just worry about your job and forget about the rest alright, later.
@sudiptacallingu (10879)
• India
18 Dec 09
I understand about not being the gossiping type and avoiding such people…there’s one in our office too (and I believe in every office LOL)…however, I have befriended that lady as I think the info she passes on can be quite useful for my own purpose. She tells a lot many things and I filter them in my own mind…I’m not bothered about whose wife is sleeping with whom or whose husband has bought a new car and so on BUT I’m definitely interested to know beforehand if the boss is not coming to office on a particular day or if we are / are’nt getting any increment or if somebody new is joining and so on! AND I rarely give out any personal info about myself…only the general ones like kid’s school and what have I cooked and so on. So I think you can go ahead and befriend that person but keep in mind only those info which can be useful to you.
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
18 Dec 09
I think there is one everywhere! I have encountered people like that before and I have not ever been keen to befriend them because there is a big part of me who doesn’t trust them and I have to wonder how this person happens to know everything about everything! As much as people like this can be handy to know as they are full of information I don’t feel comfortable and, like you I have to wonder what they are saying about me. I would be watchful of this type of individual and I would take a great deal of care not to divulge too much about myself.
@celebratelifeh (1142)
• China
18 Dec 09
the office relationship is hard and complex somehow and i'm also do not like those know it all sir or mamm on the office but since we are in the same office we have to talk and work together everyday. sometimes that's not a wise way to keep the distance with them but also have to be the so called friends with them at least.
@divkris (1156)
• India
18 Dec 09
Well, i love gossips as they are good stress buster and a woman's right ;)
I personally like to know about things and people around me and what is happening around. It helps me in making decisions - because you'll know how much it is going to benefit you and others in it :)
I would like to be this person's friend but immediately withdraw if he/she tries to pry into my personal life :)
@happy6162 (3001)
• United States
18 Dec 09
I would just sit and listen to what he has to say. I would definitely watch what I say and do around him. I would also wonder what he is saying to other about me behind my back. I would not repeat anything that he tells me about someone else and hope that they would not repeat what he tells them about me.
@madteaparty (2748)
• Japan
18 Dec 09
I was friends with a person who knew a lot of gossip about the office, but he wasn't as extreme as the person you're talking about.
I would tell you to be careful, if that person is talking about others with you he will talk about you with others too, so is better if you don't let him know much about you.