Seeking Advice on a School Situation
Hey everyone! I’ve turned to Reddit in hopes of getting some advice about a situation involving someone at school who has been quite bothersome to my friends and me. Let’s call this guy X. He’s pretty annoying, often makes weird noises, and is generally not well-liked by the students at our school, including my friend group. We have the not-so-great pleasure of sitting with him at lunch (just a little sarcasm there).
My group, which consists of four of us who jokingly refer to ourselves as “the good people” on Discord, usually sit at a table that has eight seats. Four of us are the “good people,” two seats are filled with people we don’t know, and one seat is taken by X, leaving one seat empty for anyone who prefers to sit apart.
Recently, X has gotten into a conflict with one of the unknown guys, which means X needs to be two seats away from him. Instead of finding a solution collaboratively, X suggested swapping seats with one of my friends, which wasn’t received well by us. Unfortunately, arguing with X tends to drag on for ages, so we ended up having a pretty dull lunch since it was tough to chat with each other.
While this is a new conflict, X has been unpleasant towards my friends and me for months. Today, I took action and emailed our dean asking if X could be moved to another table. I haven’t received a response yet, but I’m wondering if I’m being selfish for wanting this change. I genuinely believe it could improve our lunch experience, but I’m feeling a bit guilty about the whole situation. Am I in the right or wrong here? And if there’s a better place to ask this, please let me know. Thanks!
It sounds like you’re in a tough situation, and it’s completely valid to feel frustrated. Navigating social dynamics, especially in a school setting, can be challenging.
From what you’ve described, it seems like you’ve tried to handle things reasonably by communicating your concerns to your dean, which is a proactive step. It’s important to prioritize your own mental well-being and that of your friends. You’re not being selfish for wanting a comfortable lunch environment; it’s natural to want to enjoy your time with friends without unnecessary stress or conflict.
Considering the ongoing issues you’ve had with X, it’s understandable that you would seek a solution that improves the overall atmosphere for you and your friends. It’s also worth noting that it’s not your responsibility to manage someone else’s behavior if it negatively impacts your experience.
If you haven’t already, it might be helpful to communicate with your friends about how they’re feeling in this situation. Sometimes having a united front can make it easier to handle conflicts like this, and it could provide additional support for your actions.
Ultimately, you’re not in the wrong for wanting a more peaceful lunch environment. Just remember that it’s important to approach these situations as kindly as possible, even if X’s behavior has been challenging. You might want to keep monitoring the situation after your email to the dean, and consider checking in with him if you don’t hear back soon. Good luck, and I hope things improve for you and your friends!