Do you guys eat at cafeteria at work?

Do you guys eat lunch alone at work?

I read a book called "Never eat alone" a while back yet I still eat alone everyday for the last 1 year because I'm burned out. No energy.

However, I now want to sit and talk to someone whom also always eats alone but I know that person. Which recently joined our company.

I do occasionally when colleagues want to do something else or just don't feel like socializing that day.

If I'm at the office I prefer to go to a restaurant as a form of reward for myself.
Then it's all about the food itself.

Bottom line is, do what you want to do, not what you are expected to do for others pleasing.

well, if you want to weazel and brownnose your way up by dint of sociopathic strategies instead of earning success by posessing skill, then go ahead.

but most people who eat alone do so because they _want to_ eat alone. so don't pester them.

Try to talk to me while I'm eating and I'll put a curse on you.

@tosensei I'm not the author of the book fyi

The worst to happen is they walk away some place else or tell you they want to eat alone. This isn't high school. Why everyone act like they are still high school?

@Demolishun > "Why everyone act like they are still high school"

I don't know if this is high school, I eat alone because I don't like people staring at/judging me when I eat at work.

Dev: "Ewe..tuna? how can you eat it out right out of the can?"

Me: "It's less than a dollar, ramen is around 30 cents, these $1.50 chips last me a couple of weeks, and I've been working on this big bottle of hot sauce for over a month."

Dev: "Hot sauce on tuna? You make the big bucks, why don't you go out to lunch like everyone else?"

Me: "Its not about how much you spend, it's about how much you save. I'd prefer to eat cheap for lunch and a good meal with my family when I get home."

When another dev commented "Got lunch plans? Tuna again? <ha ha ha>" I knew they were talking about me, screw you. Now I prep everything and eat in peace in one of our conf/meeting rooms/outside (its been a few years now).

@PaperTrail bring stinky fish and kimchi. Microwave that shit.

Like I said, people are acting immature. When do people grow out of that shit? I have people I work with that are supposed to be grown ass adults saying shit about what I am eating. The biggest offender is a dude that weighs over 400lbs. Like bitch, where you get off criticizing other people's food choices. I also eat alone. Mostly because I don't like sitting in break rooms anymore. I just find it wild people are so obsessed about acceptance they won't talk to someone.

@PaperTrail I am finding prices for cheap food have gone up enough it is economical to do limited roach coach eat out each week. I can get 2 taco for $4. There is more meat per taco that most burgers from shitty chain restaurants. The salsa is made fresh every day.

I'd walk to the nearby shawarma place, get a wrap thing, and eat it on my walk back to the office, then return without food, and the whole thing I think took me like 10 minutes

pretty good routine

also I noticed I never get sick of shawarma. I've eaten one food item for lunch a bunch of times but you always get sick of eating it and then ruin that food item forever. but shawarma is eternal

to me it's weird people socialize at work. I'm here for money. I can build my own social life. why are they trying to intrude? sounds dumb cuz I have no choice in who I associate with then. I wanted a stream of money, not an adopted "family". I'm not so disabled I can't make friends, are they? lol
plus, in my experience people act friendly to you then when you leave they cease to acknowledge you ever existed. so there's not even basic decency for these fake friendships. whole lot of work I don't wanna do sitting around pretending to care for a whole lot of nothing back to me. empty, annoying

Yeah. Most of the times

Team members WFH. And at this experience level in the IT career, I don't have a lot of Friends or even acquaintances to eat along with. But it is not a big problem. Eat in peace and observe others while they socialize with their groups

For me - variation is key.

I work from home at least 1 day per week and will eat alone.

Most days I go out of the office building with a group to eat at nearby restaurants.

Some days I eat in the office cafeteria.

If you feel social lunches drain your energy - it could just be that 9/10 of your coworkers are like that - but if you keep trying you might find 1/10 that suits you.

It seems unthinkable at first. But I’ve had experiences like that. I hated certain types of workshops lead by designers - went thru 5 lead designers in my company and started declining all workshops. Until I the 6th one which was amazing and changed my mind entirely.

@PaperTrail I love tuna

@jiraTicket I had a colleague like that, but he left relatively recent. Since then it's no more the same.

Shout-out to you Mr model train fren.

At my last company before WFH, I would use lunch breaks to socialize a bit, because, when you are in a new city where you don't know anyone, work is usually a good start to, you know, start socializing.

I always like to watch the news on my phone while eating, and some people would sit nearby, and we would comment.

After 2 years, we had a fucking giant TV in place and our corner was packed.

Of course, they are all still my friends even though none of us work there anymore.

Then again, on the other hand, if someone wants to eat alone, just leave them be, don't impose yourself on them.

@CoreFusionX How to distinguish between someone wanting to eat alone and someone having no friends? 🥲

@kanyewest when they say "I want to eat alone." Could be they don't want work friends.