DEAR ABBY: My co-worker "Oscar" is a grouchy, bitter man. His cubicle is close to mine, so I can hear everything he says. He constantly talks about other employees and even about the owners of the company.
Oscar's general bitterness and poor attitude constantly bring me down. I have tried tuning him out, unsuccessfully. I don't like being subjected to this daily, but I don't know what I can do about it. Please help. -- NEEDS POSITIVITY IN LEXINGTON, KY.
DEAR NEEDS POSITIVITY: The first thing you should do is tell Oscar that you can hear every word he's saying because he may not know that he's being overheard. Tell him his conversations are distracting and ask him to stop. If he does not comply, complain to a supervisor. And if your complaint is not acted upon, bring headphones, if it's allowed, so you won't be subjected to the daily dose of negativity.