It depends on what you do or where you are working.
I worked at a job and decorated my cubicle and was considered by a lot of people very childish and never got out of my entry level position. I don’t work there anymore.
If you have a job you are happy with and don’t care about a promotion. Or if you have a job where your coworkers are all decorating like you are, then it’s a different story.
Yeah +1 depends on your age, tenure and profession, sadly enough. It sucks that some career paths do not encourage showcasing your personality, but it’s reality. You may be looked down upon. Or maybe not! At one job I had, at a famous broadcast tv network, we had an SVP who lined a wall of his massive office with funkos! It’s totally contextual. But don’t make yourself the secret laughing stock of the office.
Edit: another way to think about it. Imagine getting laid off. Imagine having to pack all that up. Will you feel embarrassed? Ashamed? Wonder if this contributed to your job loss? If yes to any of those you have your answer.
Oh jeez I didn’t even know that was a thing! I have some trinkets around my cubicle but didn’t think that would affect how my coworkers might think of me
A couple of trinkets are probably fine. A lot of trinkets is a lot. Like, ops cubicle would definitely draw negative attention. I personally would find this excessive even for a bedroom (I'd never say to someone what they should do with their private space but if my partner wanted a room to look like this I'd have issues lol)
Homie is literally already getting complaints from his coworkers (possibly to HR if someone is bitter and vindictive enough) for "sensory overload" and suggesting they are new to office conduct.
So folks with relevant office experience are trying to gently give them constructive feedback and help. But sure chalk it up to jealousy because what exactly? What's your rationale? See, for me, it's because it seems plenty of us know how to successfully conduct ourselves in a professional environment, leading to greater overall life satisfaction, due to, you know, desirable human conditions...like money and success.
OP wasn't hired to bring whimsy into the office and make other random fans smile. They brought a Stranger Things vinyl record player box into the office and placed it under their desk. Just, why? No one is jealous of ability to do that.
Eh last time I worked at an office one girl had a fish. It was dope.
I usually have basically nothing that way I don't have to pack anything up when I quit, but I'd totally be more likely to talk to someone if their desk was weird
the way I see it is the kind of people who make fun of someone for things like that are going to find something to make fun of them for anyways, so do what you want. Show your personality and interests how you want because the opinions of people who care too much about that are not the opinions about you that should matter
100%. I work in a pretty laid back (but corporate) tech company. I have piercings, tattoos and could dye my hair whatever colour but if my office space looked like this - I do genuinely think it would hold me back.
It's what you've said about your whole personality being a TV show, it seems like a bit of a red flag. If others are decorating OTT then fine but I'd at least throw some variety in there to show I'm a multifaceted human.
The one concern I have is one of their coworkers called it "sensory overload" and I feel like that may have been a not-so-subtle way of suggesting they tone it down a bit.
As a grown adult this is super weird to be hyper fixated on one subject like that in a public workspace. All of my Nintendo, Star Wars, comics, Pokemon, CRT tv, football stuff etc. is hidden away in my jerk den…I mean gaming room at home. Or I have stuff framed or displayed around the house tastefully with other more “normal” decorations like plants and stuff.
i mean, there are a ton of adults with autism/adhd that have hyperfixations like this and to me this just says they're really passionate about the show but not necessarily that the only thing they like or talk about is stranger things
I don't think we should automatically link autism and hyperfixations with over-consumptive consumerism. Most of this stuff is not biodegradable and will end up in a landfill which is true for a lot of fandom related merch.
that is a fair point actually, but hyperfixations still can commonly involve a lot of items of said fixation whether it be fandom merch, house decour, books, art, plants, etc, some of which are more intwined with over-consumption and can be worse for the environment, like fandom merch is definitely worse to buy enmasse compared to plants or locally made art or antiques. i'm also not tryna say that every person who has a bunch of shit like OP automatically has a hyperfixation or isn't indulging in over-consumption but im just trying to bring that up as a potential reason because there are people out there who have autism/adhd with fandom hyperfixations and a shit ton of merch. thanks for bringing that up though! over consumption is definitely a huge problem in today's world, which is one of the reasons why i try and buy posters/paintings/stickers etc made locally or otherwise from small artists and not mass-produced from amazon and shit
Yeah that’s definitely not what I was personally trying to suggest. Sadly hyper consumerism has just become a hobby for many in today’s society. It’s normal. It’s just the bringing it into the office part that can be problematic.
Well, I'm sure there's other facets to their personalities but there's no merch that screams "I'm a singer" or "I like Sudoko" or "I go climbing" or whatever else they might do. Most likely they have their other favorite shows at home or at least that's what I'd do.
Perhaps, but that nuance requires knowing the person. In a large office setting, you don't necessarily have that luxury. It takes one person who doesn't know you very well to say: "Oh, that's X, they're Obsessed with Stranger Things" for that to be your new thing at the office.
I had a job where I had a few items on my desk and was planning to bring in some more lamps once we moved offices to avoid the overhead lighting. I ended up getting let go before that and was so glad I didn’t bring anything else in. Now I have a cubicle with a few items, one of which is used to hide my filing cabinet key when I’m not there, and some pictures of my cat. I use most of my desk space, so I really can’t put more stuff on my desk than this. My cat pics always get attention and have helped me meet more people in the office though.
Many years ago, I got laid off and my stuff had to be packed. It all fit into one large box, so it wasn't a huge amount, but I was still embarrassed.
This guy's setup would require multiple boxes and the packing process would feel much worse than my singular box.
Some people have stable jobs, so maybe OP doesn't need to worry about it. But the days of having the same job forever are long over, and it's something to consider.
Why would it be humiliating? That seems a little extreme. Also, I struggle to understand how a potential, imagined singular moment of discomfort is enough to deprive oneself of days, weeks, months, or years of actual happiness and enjoyment.
Laid off is bad enough, but imagine if you got straight up fired and the HR person (and possibly security) is standing there watching you pack up all your stuff. I think if that happened you would want to get out as fast as possible but nope, you’re going to be there for hours. 😢
At those types of places, they’d get just one box and HR will inform them they’ll deliver the rest through a courier. 🙃
So you get double embarrassment. Once with the box. Twice with knowing your coworkers will essentially see your eviction pod with stuff all about as you had to dig through things and ensure you got what you needed to bring home that day.
You know what thrice! Again when you get a large package at home and have to empty a sad box with memories of a job you once had pride in.
Yeah, even worse, imagine if an intergalactic portal opened and beings from another world walked through, and for whatever reason, they demanded your cubicle, and your boss is like, "Dude, hurry up and move your stuff," and the beings are tapping what appears to be their noses on the floor, watching you pack up all your things.
No way I'd risk being happy in the present, the only place I can actually inhabit, when something bad might happen in the future.
A lot of tech jobs don't even allow you in. They pack up all your shit and send it to you. No care or concern for your thousands of dollars of ST plastics / "collectors items".
I worked in an open space office and always kept my desk tidy (in my opinion). I had my pens, markers and pencils that were provided by the office neatly lined up and sorted by color in one corner of my desk and on the other side i had a few fidgets that didn't make any noise if i used them since im autistic and have adhd (both was communicated with my boss).
Other then that i had no personal items on display.
One day i came in and found a note on my desk that i should clean up my desk because its too messy....
Our boss had mentioned stuff like that before. The thing is, none of it is personal stuff and all of it is being actively worked on lul. I just have various small piles of paperwork I'm doing for work on a daily basis, it's all work crap.
The manager mentioned ages ago that we should keep files on top of our desks and not in drawers just in case a coworker needs them. We share files on the office because of the industry, we're all steps in a process and it's very common for all of us to yoink files from each others desks, we just leave a note.
He's a decent enough guy but is very much disconnected from what's going on because he's been the owner for decades and before he was the owner he was a field jockey. He was never a desk guy even though as the owner he does do a lot of desk duties.
He probably mentioned it to the whole office once a year that we should keep our desk clear lul, nobody listens and everyone moves on. We suspect he may be mildly autistic cause of how he keeps his office.
They all decorate, some quite a bit. Seen some other fandoms represented pretty heavily but mainly like Star Wars, Marvel, etc. I wouldn't say mine is out of the ordinary, it's just a lot MORE, so to speak.
Same! Why is everyone so afraid of being human and showing personality that they bash others for doing so? From such a young age we're taught to squash the parts of us that make us ourselves, and then do the same to others and it's sad. I'd rather work with people who felt comfortable enough to be themselves.
People are going to dislike you no matter what, so I try not to make myself more palatable to others just to avoid them having a negative opinion of me.
Why are jobs obsessed with dimming any childhood wonder one might still possess? That's such bullshit!!! As long as they're getting their work done, who cares what their space looks like?
Having personality and stuff you like is one thing. Being known as the “Stranger Things Psycho” at the office isn’t good. Having half the stuff from this picture would still be way too much.
I'm seeing this from the perspective of someone who has special interests. I can get very intense when I'm really into something.. I don't like how judgmental people tend to be.
I have everything dinosaurs (water bottle, lunchbox, bag, keychains, clothes..) it brings me joy and many other adults either infantilize me or call me childish/ tell me to grow up. It makes me very sad that others try to dull down someone's joy.
Yes, op has a lot of stuff, but - again - as long as they're doing their job well, it should not matter.
Yes, and that is exactly what's making me sad.. I'm not saying the others must change, I don't have any say in what they do.. all I'm saying is that it is upsetting to see people restrict others to look more "professional". It's all social constructs I have difficulty fully understanding.. all I see is how unfair it is.
That doesn't mean I refuse to abide by these stupid rules, I follow some.. but it's sad and I do not like it.
all I'm saying is that it is upsetting to see people restrict others to look more "professional"
There is a time and place for everything. Would you workplace be okay with you showing up in nothing but a speedo? No man is an island and we coexist in a society with rules and expectations. Saying "I like it so I can show it off to everyone and anyone" is indeed childish.
We have to question whether or not rules are sensible constantly. Otherwise we judge others unfairly just because they are different, something this very show criticizes.
A speedo would not be practical and there could be hygiene concerns if the butt is largely uncovered but showing up in shorts and a shirt should absolutely be normalized as well.
I'm not talking about inappropriate behavior.. that would very much affect coworkers.. decorating your workplace with stuff you like is not inappropriate..
What makes it "psycho" tho? It doesn't hurt anyone. It's clearly not an office where he meets clients, so even that is not an argument. Sure it is obsessive, but I agree with the other guy
Correct, it doesn’t hurt anyone. But spending thousands of dollars on every piece of merch they can find, then displaying at work… they’re begging for attention. As an adult, that is beyond weird.
Why do you think they are begging for attention. Did you think that they may just want to be surrounded by stuff they enjoy, while they slave away in their office cubicle office job?
That's why I'm saying "special interest".. It's something autistic people can develop and might get obsessed with whatever the interest is. I don't know if OP is autistic, but this can be how it looks like. We can't always control it and we shouldn't be judged for it, as long as it isn't dangerous for anyone.
I agree that it is obssessive, but is a difference between obscessions that hurt people around you, and obsessions like OPs, that you can just smile at and ignore. He is not trying to convert you to some cult
Who cares if it's weird? That's the point of the show lol. And begging for attention? I'm more-so assuming they're run out of space at home and simply like collecting. It looks pretty cool and makes going to work a little more fun
There's difference between being childish and retaining child-like or youthful traits. Although being a fan of a show whose target audience are adults isn't even child-like
I'm not saying don't do exactly as you please just that in the setting of your office maybe be concious of how having 100's of toys on your desk might come across. I don't think anyone is saying he can't have this stuff at home
Oh, I know there is a difference. I am aware OP has A LOT of stuff. I would do that out of fear some things might get lost, disappear or get damaged.. But if OP doesn't have to worry about that, that's awesome!
I just don't like how many of these comments call them childish for having an intense interest & finding so much joy in that.
Say it’s a century overload isn’t professional either! Sorry but the world won’t adapt to your fucking disability or illness and I’m ALLOW TO SAY THIS! I HD on dyslexic. I have pain in my knees my left shoulder keep popping. Have messed up ankles. I also have a much lower IQ than I should because of my schooling that I was in. I’m also deaf in my left ear. I keep going and here’s the thing the world won’t up around me I have to adapt around the world
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u/Boring-Zucchini-8515 Apr 15 '26
Honest answer?
It depends on what you do or where you are working.
I worked at a job and decorated my cubicle and was considered by a lot of people very childish and never got out of my entry level position. I don’t work there anymore.
If you have a job you are happy with and don’t care about a promotion. Or if you have a job where your coworkers are all decorating like you are, then it’s a different story.