Speak Now Regret Later

Speak Now Regret Later

Am I the Asshole for Taking Work Calls on My Own Balcony?

Michael Inzlicht
Sep 17, 2025
∙ Paid

My neighbour asked me to move indoors last month, and I minded. The Dude minds, man.

Here's what happened: I like to work outside on my balcony, soaking up sun before our dreaded Northern winter arrives. Occasionally this means holding Zoom calls outdoors. My neighbour, who enjoys sitting on her front porch, didn't appreciate overhearing my side of a work meeting and complained that I was being too loud. She believes her desire for quiet should trump my desire to work outdoors. One of us needs to go inside, and she thinks that should be me.

My wife agrees with her and thinks it's rude of me to have meetings outside. My wife is far wiser than I, so she's probably right. Also, I am used to being told that I am being too loud and tend to defer to my accusers. But something happened recently that made me question my assumption that I am always in the wrong when people say I am being loud. And I need your help, dear readers, to tell me if I'm the asshole here.

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