You could find ‘The Office’ at your office.

I had to push through all of Season 1 of the acclaimed series, ‘The Office’ (the American version). The setting seemed removed from reality and nonsensical, and the characters caricaturish.   

The warming-up happened with Season 2, when it began to sink in that neither the plot nor the cast of characters were meant to dish out meaningful commentary. It was no blazing comet but more like an unremarkable boulder in your backyard that you grow fond of simply because it represents the ordinary, the mundane, and feels like familiar terrain.

So, do you think you’ve come across these ‘personalities’ at your workplace? Or do you relate to one or a few of them?

Jim Halpert: The quintessential ‘nice guy’. Likeable and friendly. He takes no great risks, and strives to avoid conflict. He will not hurt you but neither will he go to any lengths to make amends or put himself on the line for a cause. Is not a complainer and generally goes coasting and floating through life. 

Pam Beasly: Shy without being reticent. Eager-to-please without being insincere. She has potential; the ability to gradually make course-corrections through self-reflection. She’s careful not to tread on any toes, and can be taken for granted due to an undemanding demeanor.  

Stanley Hudson: Unobservant, irritable and grouchy. All he wants to do is come at 9 and leave at 5. Don’t blur my line of sight with your face, thank you very much.

Oscar Fernandes: The self-proclaimed preserver of intelligence within the group. Condescending eye-rolling and head-shaking aside, he does have substance.

Kevin Malone: Slow and lumbering. He merely gets through the day. His laughter is his self-defense. He needs kindness (just like all of us); sadly, rarely do folks consider it worth their while.

Phyllis Vance: Matronly and unvocal, she literally stuck to her knitting. Until the day, a man comes into her life who treats her with respect and pride. Her self-esteem gets a boost, and that’s great news; if only, her sense of worth did not come from being desired by another.

Angela Martin: Severe and harsh; although it’s reserved for the people around her. She however, makes no great demands of herself. To the outward appearance, she’s prim and proper, nattily dressed and productive.

Ryan Howard: Unfocused and hare-brained. Starts out strong but loses his way. He’s now unmotivated to try.

Kelly Kapoor: Of course, she doesn’t love her job. She’d rather inhabit her fantasy land and be surrounded by a legion of ardent admirers. Entertaining, nonetheless.

Toby Flenderson: He blends with the wall. Does not care to make himself heard. But give him a chance, and he might surprise you. Problem is, you have to give him a chance; and he would need to try.

Michael Scott: He belongs to another working-day and age (perhaps pre-industrial revolution). Self-destructive with low self-awareness, he is a hazard to himself and is his own worst enemy. He is not mean, but his world revolves around his personal drama, and the people around him are only an assemblage of extras in the movie of his life.

Dwight Schrute: Okay, here I give up. D. Schrute defies categorization. He is an odd agglomeration of inane absurdities with a completely upturned sense of priorities. You’d have to see him to believe him. But his is the bobblehead I’d want on my desk – as a reminder not to live every single day, waiting for the shadows to turn to light; always striving but never accomplishing, always coping but never recovering.

Photo: http://www.fanpop.com/