These ways of being isolated...
The story
My boss is one of those people who thrive on marginalizing others, turning his back on them. When something happens, he ignores it, using silence as his main weapon, along with small gestures. But since I'm used to it with my father, I don't care. In fact, I suspect he tried to talk to my father and it backfired. Look, I see the guy and he doesn't know what he's talking about at all. He doesn't know what he's saying, how he's expressing it. The man has clearly been losing his mind for some time now. He's always blaming others for all his problems. I mean, the man doesn't recognize his actions, he doesn't know what he's doing. In fact, I have the impression that everyone in the office is trying to drive him crazy, justifiably, so we can avoid protecting him from falling into the trap where he'll be in for a rude awakening, precisely so we can finally have him at our mercy, under our control, and thus take complete control of the department, which has been out of our hands for quite some time. We don't know how much time we have left after the tragedies in my country, but at least something can be done. We can try to justify his current situation, taking advantage of his elusive nature and the trust of the authorities, who are women, given the pervasive sexism. We need to keep him under control; he makes everything he does work. We need to make all his strategies for clinging on a living hell. Bringing him down to earth only makes him escape again. While we can't get rid of him completely, since he threatens with gossip and other tactics, then let's play the game of subduing him until he changes or leaves. That way, we can have peace of mind and he can make the decision himself. But he has to understand that the company isn't his, and we don't have to submit to him, give him any special treatment, or anything like that. We've been subjected to this for too long, and we've had enough. In fact, one of the heads of the other department arrived late precisely so as not to be involved, not to support him in any way in that hell he'd gotten himself into, that the authorities had put him in, making him look desperate for recognition, like a chauvinist, someone who seeks power at any cost, justifying everything he does, running away from everything—that man who simply doesn't know where he stands and never has, and who uses work as an excuse, being himself completely useless; doing things is utterly pointless.
He wanted me to become part of a family with him so he could have control, but I didn't allow it. It's exhausting to keep zooming in on this issue. I'm tired and I'd like to dedicate myself to something else, to another area of knowledge. However, I don't know what else to do, I don't know where to turn. I feel like my father would get angry if he saw me straying from the path I'm on. He'd be fed up, annoyed if he saw me going my own way, stepping outside my comfort zone, expanding my horizons into other areas of knowledge. For my father, being okay means staying within the established parameters, which in effect shows that he's abusive towards me. He keeps me trapped and at his mercy, but I'm tired of it. I feel I have the right to do as I please, not because of my age, but because I want a different path, I want to explore diverse interests, delve deeper into things. I'm tired of being confined by his rules, just as I'm tired of being confined by my friend's rules, of only focusing on work. We could be friends in that sphere, but I feel—and I have to admit it—that it's a form of coercion. He guides me solely through work, arbitrarily, out of fear of losing her. It makes me feel violated by her, all in the name of her safety, and I don't like that. There are no agreements or anything like that, of course. Making them would reveal her aggressive nature, which she applies to others, her tendency to lie and overwhelm them. It's unbelievable, but it was the only way she had of keeping me around. At the cost of violence, at the cost of that unspoken threat, which my boss imposed on me because I strayed from where he wanted me to be, because I was damaging his image, it's outrageous that he can somehow keep you where he wants you, without your permission. I feel like I'm being treated like an animal, and I'm tired of defending my friend because of it. In fact, I live, in a way, in perpetual conflict with her, and I make it clear to her, and at least she reacts, but not significantly. It's like pretending she can keep all the power she has, as long as she can't control it, and it makes me feel completely absorbed from my life. And I really don't think she understands this because of her thirst for power. I feel just as dominated as when I was with my boss.
I feel just as dominated as when he was around. I don't feel free to talk about what I want, to reach an agreement, or anything like that. Instead, I feel like I have to let this girl lead the way. I feel seemingly free, but I'm not. I feel trapped by this absence, limited to doing what I want because I don't know her terms. I always have to deduce them. Before, I felt a certain freedom with my boss, within the confines of the office, where I didn't allow him to go any further. But with this friend, it's a different game. I feel like I don't know where we're going, what my future holds, what will happen if I do one thing or another. I feel completely immobilized, all because of this whole thing with pursuing her, and of course, she's provoking me too. I don't know why I gave in to her, I don't know why I went to her. She turned out to be my escape from my boss, definitely, but now I'm in a worse place, where I feel like I can't think straight, can't do anything. I have to live at the mercy of focusing on someone else to forget about the whole thing, and it's just not fair. I feel like that's how she's kept me under control, while she goes around shouting that she's so important. I feel hurt, subjugated, and it makes me wonder, when will this nightmare of control end?
I didn't go out into the world to be dominated, not at all. But I feel like I'm exaggerating, like what I'm saying can't be true. How could I have fallen into the same trap as before? Everything was supposed to be different, but it wasn't. I feel like I'm saying something that can't be true, that I'm confused, I feel like I'm in a place, not better, but already outside of all imposition, but a feasible place, I feel like I'm in that, it just so happens that right now I have to do something else and it's hard for me to write. I feel fed up with the whole office thing. I want to leave it behind once and for all. What's done is done, and I feel like I need to move on. But somehow, I'm reacting to this inertia, this need to distance myself, to not be a part of it. Even though I'm on vacation, it's more about completely differentiating where I am from the office. Firstly, because here I end up talking about it, unlike there, which is the fundamental issue. And it's truly embarrassing because I feel like my ideas don't resonate there. They're not prepared for them because they don't know how to read or listen. They detach themselves from the discourse, they don't follow it. When they speak, they don't see the conversation; they try to detach themselves from it by taking preventative measures. It's regrettable, but I also find myself surrounded by people who are, in this sense, completely alienated from the present. What other discoveries will I make in the future? I've already seen so many flaws in that office... I can't even see them as having come from some school, because they don't seem to have come from there. They may know things, about gossip, about social games, but they don't know how to intellectualize in order to socialize and socialize in order to intellectualize, and that's precisely the purpose of school. They are not prepared to be in the country, it must be said now.
Stories in the same category
Points of view
Your situation is incredibly challenging, and I can sense your frustration with both your boss and friend. It sounds like you're grappling with being caught in a cycle of control, one that you're eager to break free from. It's understandable to feel trapped when those around you misuse their authority or influence for personal gain. You deserve the freedom to explore new paths without feeling bound by the expectations or manipulation of others; it's not easy getting out from under such pressure, but realizing the need for change is already a significant step forward.
u say ur boss is bad but maybe ur exaggerating a bit? have u talked to him directly or nah?
Sounds like you're juggling a lot of drama with both your boss and this friend. But honestly, it also feels like you might be blowing some stuff out of proportion. You mention feeling controlled by everyone around you... ever think maybe stepping back could give you some clarity? I’ve had moments where my headspace was so cluttered; everything seemed ten times worse than it was. Being away from work should help clear things up, right?! Just don’t let yourself get too sucked into other people's chaos.; Maybe focus on what YOU really want to do for a change? Finding your own path is tough, but important.
dude, that's a heavy load you're dealing with. sounds like your boss and friend are both toxic AF, and it's understandable you're feeling trapped by all this garbage at work and in your personal life. if you can, try focusing on what you want for yourself and maybe start planning an exit strategy; nobody should have to put up with that level of BS forever. stepping outside the comfort zone seems scary, yeah, but sometimes that's just what we need most.
not sure where to start, but your story struck a chord with me... i honestly think you're spot on about the manipulation tactics used by both your boss and friend...it's like they're operating from the same dysfunctional playbook; it's infuriating when those who should support us instead become obstacles. maybe consider leveraging your experience as a catalyst for positive change; it might sound clichéd, but sometimes adversity is the necessary jolt we need to break free from restrictive cycles??!
this is kinda confusing. so are you saying your boss and friend both control you in different ways? sounds messy.
yeah, bosses can be the worst! i've had one that would always criticize publicly, thought he was helping but nah!
Have you ever thought about how much of this might be your perspective, like maybe the way you're seeing all this control is more about how you're feeling inside rather than just what they're doing?
Dang, sounds like you're stuck between a rock and a hard place with both your boss and your friend. It's wild how people in power can manipulate situations to keep you feeling trapped, right? Do you think there's a specific moment or event that made things start to feel this way with your friend? Maybe figuring out when it started could help untangle some of it.
i get feeling trapped by expectations from others like your father or boss but honestly sometimes it helps to pause and reflect. maybe find small changes to make first before radically shifting everything. it can be tricky figuring things out on your own though.
True, small changes can really add up over time!
it's tough balancing work pressure with personal life especially when people around make it difficult. i think confronting them head-on could help but then again that's easier said than done right?
did u ever try confronting ur friend about this whole power thing? curious how she reacted if u did.
Maybe you're overthinking this?!
you know, this reminds me of the time i had a manager who would make every meeting feel like walking on eggshells. none of us knew what mood he'd be in. he even tried to involve us in his personal vendettas, which was exhausting. ironically, getting dragged into his chaos helped me realize how much i valued clear boundaries and independence. sometimes these tough experiences push us to see what's really important and help us carve out our own space amidst the madness, y'know?
I don't completely agree with your approach of playing games to subdue him. It doesn't sound very productive in the long term for anyone involved.
a similar thing happened to me once where my manager just didn't see eye to eye with everyone on the team. ended up leaving and found something way more freeing for myself even tho it wasn't easy at first!
sometimes I feel liek I'm living sumone else's life.. does that make sense?
omg yes! i had a friend who always tried controlling our group outings, never let us choose anything without her approval, so draining!
I understand wanting a fresh start away from all these pressures but uprooting everything might not solve underlying issues with boundaries and control you mention.
*eyeroll* first world problems
Have you considered talking things through with someone outside of work?