Yeah I don't disagree with you entirely. I worked at a place with the 'outgroup' feeling you describe.
I think the word 'friend' is too broad here. Maybe the French ami versus copain is more apt[1].
While I wouldn't say many co-workers are close friends, all but a handful have been or could possibly be good acquaintances.
Another way to say it is I wouldn't mind spending a couple hours at a happy hour with them chatting.
Since we're such social creatures and how that maps to our physical and mental health, I still worry too hard a line between the the two and how much we all work could be risky/detrimental.
I think the word 'friend' is too broad here. Maybe the French ami versus copain is more apt[1].
While I wouldn't say many co-workers are close friends, all but a handful have been or could possibly be good acquaintances.
Another way to say it is I wouldn't mind spending a couple hours at a happy hour with them chatting.
Since we're such social creatures and how that maps to our physical and mental health, I still worry too hard a line between the the two and how much we all work could be risky/detrimental.
[1]: https://www.reddit.com/r/French/comments/3r0djp/ami_vs_copai...