DAVID THOMPSON: But What If Your ‘Whole Self’ Is, Frankly, Aggravating?

And back in the world of contrived racial grievance,

Job postings and corporate ‘About Us’ pages often include a statement about the company fostering an environment where employees can bring their ‘whole selves’ to work. But how often do these claims reflect reality?

At risk of being difficult, I have questions about the premise. For one, why on God’s Fragrant Earth would an employer, or indeed their customers, want employees to drag every last piece of their personal baggage into the workplace and then inflict that inexhaustible tedium on everyone else? If, say, I’m buying groceries, I am as a rule friendly towards the person at the checkout. There’s always eye contact, a smile, and a word of appreciation. However, I rarely have the time or inclination to hear about the cashier’s extensive list of ailments or her difficulties finding a babysitter, or a lover, or a suitable shampoo. Nor do I wish to hear her views on politics. It’s not why I’m there. And ditto her.

Read the whole thing. As Christopher Buckley wrote in his satiric “Introducing Yourself to the Waiter” chapter of his 1997 book, Wry Martinis, “One person I know always eats a full meal before going to the restaurant, leaving him free to concentrate on developing a personal relationship with the server.”