We present ourselves at work as better than we are

That you walk into the office in the morning (before corona of course) with a big grin on your face and act as if everything is hunky-dory. Meanwhile, you’re gasping for breath at the coffee machine because you left home after a huge fight. Or you swallow a tear because you received a fine that you really can’t afford right now. Does this sound familiar? Logical, because research shows that we present ourselves at, around, and about work just a little bit better than it actually is.

By the way, only 19 percent lie about their home situation, but when it comes to salary, the little lies increase. For instance, 30 percent of those with theoretical education embellish their salary when a colleague asks what they take home, a need that those with practical education have much less. People are also inclined to upgrade their income and achievements in front of family and friends. Apparently, more feels better in this case. Women have this need less, while men lie about their income twice as often.

What also stands out is that 75 percent of respondents prefer to keep work and private life at a distance from each other. Any troubles from home don’t belong at work, even though this proves to be difficult in practice, as you spend so much time with colleagues. You see them more than your best friends. Men are generally a bit better at this than women: 79 percent say they don’t want to share anything about their private life with colleagues. I mainly work with women, and I can confirm that I know more about them than about my male co-workers. Although that also fosters understanding, so I wonder where you’re better off.

Source: Daily News: Men are unhappy when they earn less than their female counterpart: Amayzine.com