The Corporate Illusion of Friendship

You don't have friends in your office. That's a bitter pill to swallow. You cannot be friends with someone you're competing against. There's no such thing as healthy competition. Wherever competition exists, one-upmanship follows. You have to withhold information from them. You have to resist the urge to overshare. You cannot, therefore, be completely honest with them. And without honesty, there can never be genuine friendship. Corporations condition you to believe this is your best career path, that this is how your life will be shaped: by gaining that extra percentage in your yearly review. Even if it costs you a relationship. Even if you have to gossip about someone you once called a friend. Even if you have to sacrifice every bond to climb that ladder. They make the ladder the most important thing in your life. This is an illusion. The ladder is worthless. It doesn't matter how many rungs you climb if there's no one there to celebrate with you. The best moments are the ones where…