Office Candy Dish Cartoon.

Last updated on December 17, 2019

What goodies are in that candy bowl in the cartoon? Is it just me that feels food should not always be communal? That maybe they should all belong to me? I guess not, as the lady in the black dress also feels the same way.

I’ll be honest, freelancing is tough. Sometimes I miss working in an office with others. And I love The Office!  In my own career, working in not as funny offices, there was always someone, much nicer than me, who brought in desserts or candy every week. Sometimes it was handmade!

Even when I worked in the movie studios, on the back lot, one woman (a suck up) brought in doughnuts one day a week for all the (almost all) men in the department. They were Fosters Donuts, too, yummm.

Psychology behind the office goodies bowl

Ask a manager found an in-house experiment of the office candy bowl made by, of all places, Washington Post!

…the most fascinating part was watching how people behaved around the jar, which sits on a cabinet less than three feet from Kevin’s head.

First of all, nearly everyone who approached the candy while Kevin was present emitted some sort of noise before opening the jar, even if it was just a primal “oooooh!” or “mmmm.” Some politely asked if they could have a piece. Others explained why they shouldn’t have a piece before diving in. A photographer started singing “The Candy Man.”

That’s not surprising at all, said neuroscientist Gary Wenk, author of “Your Brain on Food.”

Wenk called it “the Kevin stimulus.” Basically, Kevin’s presence injected social complications into the food decisions. People had to decide whether the candy was worth the interaction.

“You have to be willing to break into someone else’s personal space and take one of their items that they are offering to you,” Wenk said. “You have to say, ‘Okay, I’m worth it, and I’m going to come over there and talk to you.’ ”

More of the in-house experiment over at WaPo. Interesting!

Caption for those that can’t read it: TAKE ONE and I’ll bite your head off.

More chocolate cartoons here.