“I worked at a certain organisation for about three years. I used to have breakfast with some colleagues, and we would even go out for drinks two or three nights a week.” Their bond was so strong, they barely even talked about work. However, when restructuring hit the company, he eventually resigned, and the once-vibrant social life came to a quiet end.
“Over time, my relationship with them grew more distant — we texted less, met up less, and by the time I left, we had stopped contacting each other altogether,” he wrote. “Is this what people call ‘convenient bonding’? It makes me wonder if it was ever a real friendship.”
The post hit a nerve with many other Singaporeans. “Sigh. This is so real,” one commenter replied, adding that, “When friends start to have families, kids and all, all of a sudden, friendships spanning over 15 years just disappear. It’s upsetting, but I’ve learnt to accept it.”
Another just gave a direct: “No. There is no such thing as friends in the workplace. Only mutually beneficial working relationships,” while another added, “You’re there to work, not to socialise. What happened to professional distance?”
