People will gatekeep the most insanely petty things in order to feel even a semblance of purpose and power. Name a hobby, sport, community, or industry—and I promise you that there are a number of people there who will make it as challenging as possible for you to join, contribute, or succeed in a way that they perceive might threaten their supposed authority.
We're territorial beasts, after all, with many of us being fueled by our ego's lust for significance, prominence, and recognition. Consistent and daunting reminders that we're a single fish in an entire ocean drives us to hunker down and carve off even the smallest slice in the smallest community for ourselves in order to preserve that special feeling we got from our parents growing up.
Once we've claimed this small privilege or position, the easiest way to keep other fish from growing legs and climbing the ladder we've just climbed is to pull it up behind you—or guard it as ferociously as possible—with whatever means necessary—to ensure that you keep your super cool fishy spot.
Fish and ladders aside, this happens frequently in workplaces, with workers ferociously guarding their tasks and special privileges or order to keep others from getting those same privileges.
It turns out even the spot you're working from is a guarded territory, and don't you claim too nice of a spot for else, or else one of your gatekeeping coworkers might message your gatekeeping boss to let them know that you had the audacity to work next to a window. If having a window above your position is "above your position,"—it might be time to find other work.
Read on for this worker's account of events that they shared with a popular online community for workplace issues.
Next, see this worker whose boss contacted their wife's phone repeatedly when they called off work.
Keep swimming, little fishes.
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