I don't avoid bad people in the workplace. I act like an adult and deal with them as appropriately as I can. That rarely involves bringing in a third party. I give people small tests that tell me whether they will accept my personality or not. If they fail, I keep our interactions brief and focused only on what's relevant to our work. If they pass, I slowly open up more and test until I know the limit of our relationship. This can be exhausting in large numbers, but I've mostly worked on smaller teams. To be clear, not everyone I limit my interactions with are bad people. They're just inconsistent with my personality. I've actually met very few people I consider bad at their core. And bad is a loose term that I'm in no mood to explore here. Everyone will have an opinion on it. Values are key to measuring people for yourself.
Discussion
I get what your saying but the "I don't associate" seems like hardly ever a possible solution in the workplace. You're strategy seems pretty solid. That said, I think I ran into situations that would've gone beyond this scope/goal.
I'm not a guru. I don't have all the answers. I just deal with stuff as it comes up like anyone else. I think you're confusing association with interaction. Association to me means to build a relationship beyond what is strictly necessary. I have to interact with people I don't like all the time. That doesn't mean I am powerless. I can have boundaries and limits. At times that has meant leaving a company. You can't avoid that without being the only human on the planet. Even then I'll eventually piss myself off 😂
To be more clear, I may interact with thieves when they rob me, but that doesn't mean I associate with thieves.
Yup, thanks. You definitely refined your explanation. I understand better what you were trying to tell me.
I could write a book on this topic I'm sure. Lol It's hard to type on a phone in depth explanations like this. I appreciate the opportunity to clarify and think deeper on it.
Admittedly, my freedom in this regard has improved with age, technology, and wealth. I can limit interactions I don't like more than ever before. That privilege isn't lost on me. Just do the best you can with what you have.