Def had a favorite complaint: Comp only looked out for his people. Every decision Comp made, every promotion he signed off on, every lunch invite—always the same tight circle. “Typical office politics,” Def grumbled. “Comp plays favorites. He protects his little kingdom, and the rest of us get scraps.” Def would vent this to anyone who would listen—mostly to his own group, a tight-knit crew he always looped in on big projects, inside jokes, and post-work happy hours.

One day, after a meeting where Comp had (once again) backed one of his go-to people for a prime assignment, Def lost it. “I swear, this guy never gives anyone outside his clique a chance!” he ranted over lunch.

Steve, one of Def’s longtime work buddies, raised an eyebrow. “So, you’re saying he’s just like… you?”

Def scoffed. “What? No, I—” Then he looked around. His entire lunch table? The same five people he always sat with. His last three project teams? Hand-picked from his inner circle. The realization hit him like a rogue spreadsheet crash.

He wasn’t upset that Comp played favorites—he was upset because he got caught doing the same thing! Def has always favored his own staff, but now that the truth is out, he’s forced to confront his own hypocrisy. There’s nothing quite like being face-to-face with one’s own denial!