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Is my response to my coworker bi+chy?

· 4 min read

The Office Heater Saga​

It was a chilly Tuesday at the office—think frostbite, not a frosty coffee. Everyone had their heaters on like it was a sauna, so when I trudged in at 7:30 am the lobby felt like a winter wonderland… or a very warm, very heated winter wonderland.

Three hours later, I’m lounging with two coworkers, basking in the rare glow of downtime (because, let’s face it, the rest of the day is a marathon of “can we get this done?”). Suddenly, Jay, the office’s resident conversational pivot, turns to me with the subtlety of a penguin at a barbecue.

“Hey, are you cold?”

I, ever the dramatic, answer in the affirmative, because I’m anemic (you know, the real reason I’m so chilly). Jay, eyes widening like a squirrel in a nut factory, turns to the other coworker and declares:

“See, this is the reason it’s so hot in here right now, because he’s cold, that’s why I’m so hot right now.”

I’m not sure if he’s trying to be a meteorologist or just a master of heat‑to‑cold logic, but I reply with a dignified “I’m so glad you have the liberty to go outside where it’s much cooler whenever you feel like it.”

He looks at me like I just announced that the office needs a new HVAC system. He snaps, “Aye aye, calm down…,” as if my comment was a direct threat to the thermostat.

The Misunderstood “I’m So Hot” Exchange​

I didn’t think my response needed a “calm down” because I’m not the kind of person who turns a simple temperature complaint into an existential crisis. We both clocked in at the same time, the heaters had been on all night, and we’re all aware that the office could practically boil if we didn’t do a heat‑balance.

So why am I responsible for his heat? Why didn’t we just open a door or turn the heater down instead of blaming me for his personal thermoregulation? I guess it’s all part of the office drama—except it’s a real drama, not a Netflix binge.

Commenter Commentary​

  • Commenter 1:
    Smooth brain logic. Not worth engaging. Or tell him to shut his stupid mouth. Always have options.

  • Commenter 2:
    When someone says that to me I respond with “No need to get emotional, you just got a response.”

  • Commenter 3:
    I loved your response :) I aspire to be that nice

  • Commenter 4:
    So either he was genuinely being good natured and your offended response was too much, or he was being a jerk and he didn’t like you matching his energy. If it's the former, you could have jokingly responded “yeah, it's all because of me, suffer!” or something similarly light and bantering. If it's the latter, your response is fine but did give him the satisfaction of knowing he'd bugged you, so making fun of him not being able to handle the heat would have kept you in the dominant position.

  • Commenter 5:
    Your coworker came at you bruh. They just wanted to be the office villain. I’d be petty and bring in a cold pack for him the next day lmao… a “for your troubles” type beat but sarcastically lol. In all reality just try to ignore it for now if you can. If he keeps being an ass take it to management. But like you said, any other normal/rational person would’ve just asked to turn the heat down for a bit. You’re not the asshole at all here imo.

TL;DR​

You’re not the heat‑monster. Jay’s logic is as solid as a snowman in a sauna. The office should just turn the heater down. And if he’s still hot, just bring a cold pack—because sarcasm is the new office diplomacy.