Friends in the workplace...

Do you think you could balance a friendship with someone you also work with? I think the answer is no. First of all in the workplace you have to have a certain level of respect for the people you work with, a different kind of respect than the people you are friends with. I have learned the lesson time and time again, as I have gotten friends jobs at my place of employment and found myself loathing them being there because I do not work like I hang out and hanging out is what you are used to doing with your friends. It is a complete different scenario if you become friends with a stranger that you work with, I have seen this go both ways. Either you gain respect for the person as a co-worker and become great friends or once the other person feels comfortable with you (as a friend), they don't mind stepping on you or throwing you under the bus to make themselves feel and look better. This issue arises again and again and somehow I can not make myself comprehend, so not befriend your co-workers, this could go very bad. But I seem to always think people are generally good people until I am slapped in the face with reality.