Q: One of my co-workers does nothing but chat all day. She comes to my office door and just won’t shut up. What do I do? – Beth

A: It seems really simple, but let me defer to my very old philosopher friend, Socrates. He invented the Socratic method of asking really good questions.

Socrates: Beth, has any solution occurred to you?

Beth: Well, I’ve thought of shutting my door.

S: Doors are meant to shut out distractions. And why haven’t you done that?

B: It seems kind of rude. I don’t want to hurt her feelings.

S: You seem like a very fair person and sensitive to others’ feelings. I’m curious – do you think it’s unjust to be rude?

B: It would make her feel bad.

S: Would that be unjust?

B: I didn’t say that. It would just be awkward and kind of mean.

S: Shutting the door would be mean?

B: Well, maybe not mean, but awkward for sure.

S: So it would be awkward, but not unjust?

B: Right.

S: What if you had to choose between the two?

B: I guess I’d rather be just, even if it felt uncomfortable.

S: You guess?

B: Well, no. For sure, I’d rather do the right thing even if it felt awkward.

S: Speaking of the right thing, who pays you for your work?

B: My employer, who else?

S: So your chatty co-worker doesn’t pay your salary?

B: Are you kidding me? She shouldn’t even get paid for all the time she wastes. Plus, she keeps me from doing my work.

S: Does that feel awkward?

B: Why are you talking about awkward again? We already covered that.

S: Well, it seemed important to you at the beginning, before you focused on justice, which is much more important. So your co-worker not only doesn’t work, but hinders your work. Is that just to your employer?

B: It’s almost like she’s stealing from him; totally unjust and unfair to me, too.

S: Do you still feel it would be rude to shut your door?

B: That would miss the point. I’m going to diplomatically tell her what I think. If she doesn’t change, I’m going to my boss. Still awkward – but just. Thanks Socrates. I guess it was a simple problem.

S: Doing the right thing is often simple, but, in the long run, it makes life worth living.