Fraternization Is Always a Bad Idea

Okay so for "reasons" (I want to be clear Stephen Henderson is still a personal hero of mine. And even now represents the guy I want to be in 10 years, but he's fallen a few rungs off the pedestal. And I'm still working my way through Tavis Smiley. Well at least it is not a bad as that time when I got into a Twitter fight with Adam Baldwin. And yes that actually did happen. Notice how I never changed my website's tagline.)  it's become relevant to discuss the nuances between sexual harassment and workplace romance.

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But before I even wade into those waters I feel the need to admit, I don't date. I'm not a particularly social person, at my age it's hard to meet new people anyway and I've had one and only one quasi-romantic relationship ... in which I didn't take it seriously and acted like a complete and total jackass. The slow realization of that has pretty much permanently turned me off of romance though I can't  bring myself to quit Disney. Let's just say I have regrets. (Southpark's Heidi arc hurts.)

That having being said:

Don't hit on women while they're working. There is some wiggle room after hours but still, it's generally a bad idea regardless of if you are a coworker or a client.  It's pretty common knowledge for folks under about 35 but older folks don't seem to get it and it's kind of my thing to explain things.

Part of the social contract of working means being pleasant.  Everybody and I mean everybody has stories of putting up with stuff at work that they otherwise wouldn't because they were getting paid for it.

It's really easy for people to take advantage of that even if they don't mean to. Screw everything else what separates the boys from the men is realizing when that's what's going on and adjusting behavior to it. Recognizing when people are being nice primarily because they are in a social situation where they can't afford not to be and trying not to that make that scenario any more awkward than it has to be.

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Kids be nice to your teachers.

Hitting on women while they're working is a pretty big example of doing the opposite of that. And even after hours, it requires an awareness of both parties of segregating roles that is hard to pull off in the best of situations let alone when there is some sort of power differential. My view is that workplace fraternization is ALWAYS a bad idea.

But then again look where this is coming from. 

P.S.  Money advice is pretty much in the same boat as dating advice. I've got ideas but I'm in such a bad place that I have to have a disclaimer on everything I say. Welcome to my midlife crisis which oddly enough butts right up against my quarter-life crisis.

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When the hell does "life" actually start?

Oh and Living Single was better than Friends.