I'm a stick in the mud I'll admit first. Last place I worked I did the "Don't fish from the company pier" thing to the extreme. All business, no fraterniztion, little to no happy hours, any of the "touchy feely". It worked AGAINST me anyway It was almost like I was letting down the company for NOT dipping into the pool, like the manager you described. Then if there's a bunch of gossip queens in the company and you reject one or more of their advances and they're the BITTER types, over time they might make things worse for you anyway. All in all, chicks confuse sh**.
I had a similar experience once where I was brought in as a contractor to another company and didn't socialize at all with any of the people there because I figured I was only there for a short term. I got a bad reputation as a cold fish. As humans we are social animals so it some level of fraternization is almost expected in any organization. Womens is evil.. Fraternization, like having a drink after work or going out to lunch with co-workers is one thing and dating is another. I find it surprising that co-workers would hold it against you for not dating other employees. That said if I completely understood women I would be spending a lot less times on Clutchfans..
Well, to me, dating at workplace is just a bad bad idea. Worse, cheating at workplace. And yet that happens almost everywhere I work. For one thing, you need a little a space and distance. Second , any fights between you two will be instant topic of the day in the office, even if none of you said anything, people just can tell. Third, if you date a hot chick or dude in the office, the amount of jelousy is un-overcomable. I can go on and on. I don't see one good thing in dating at workplace.
My wife works with me at the restaurants that we own so yes I would totally sleep with a girl at work
I did hyperbolize the "vicariously wanting me to stick some chicks for the team" thing. It actually wasnt like THAT (it was more a "man, if it were ME and I wasnt married, sheeeeeeiiiiiiiii*" ) It was what you described in the first part, just being a cold clammy fish in general. I learned my lesson.
