How To Deal With Difficult Coworkers

They say friends are the family we choose for ourselves, but what about your colleagues — those people you see 40-plus hours each week? You often know way too much about them: what they had for lunch, how often they take a bathroom break, and their strong opinions on any number of topics. When you work side-by-side five days a week, you can't avoid them.

Your job can certainly be a fantastic place to make new friends and broaden your networks, but you’re a very lucky individual if your office is filled with only friendly faces. And, while we generally have autonomy over who we choose to hang out with, that's not usually the case with coworkers. That guy who's giving you grief? He's probably not going anywhere.

There are however, a few things you can do to maintain your sanity — and none involve revenge or resignation. 

Ahead, we’ve collected the most challenging workplace personalities — from faux confidants to conflict-driven pessimists — and how to deal with them. This is a must-read for anyone who’s a slave to the 9-to-5.