I never understood this argument.. you don't go to work to socialize, you go there to get work done.

I am of course respectful and cooperative with my fellow coworkers but my relationship with them ends at 5PM.

I personally find the offices that push for forced socialization quite frustrating.

After working remote for the past few years I love the fact that I no longer have to commute, am in charge of my time, can eat what I want , have better sleep, can exercise and have the luxury of actually getting work done.

Not to mention remote work majorly helps people with kids / newborns and also caters to women who need extra comfort during pregnancies.

When I was working in a big office, I actually had to arrive early or stay late to get work done (I'm not kidding), because those were the only non distracting hours.

I suspect the reason why most companies are not remote is because they rather keep a tight leash on their employees and celebrate the butt in chair "work" rather than trusting them with actual work.

I doubt I'm alone in this.

I can understand why you might feel the way you do, but have a hard time understanding your confusion. Given that social isolation is a common punishment for children and prisoners you can't understand why people wouldn't want to work in a socially isolated environment? Sure, you don't go to work just to socialize (well, some people do) but that's quite different from saying you shouldn't expect to get any socialization from work.

I crave isolation - remote work is perfect for me. I detest offices: stinky lunches, music, mastication noises, and too many snacks.

Not everyone is the same.

You must be more active when working remotely wrt. seeking social interactions. When working on-site, you get some of the interactions for free. When working remotely, you must actively organize them by yourself. I know people who get MORE social interactions from working remotely because they have more energy/time for things like meeting with friends, clubs meetings etc.

Remote work doesn't mean "Sit in your home by yourself." It means you can work remotely.

I just switched to a remote job and at first, it did feel pretty socially isolating. But it doesn't have to be. You might be isolated from your coworkers, but you have to choose to isolate yourself from other people. Depending on your working style, there are dozens of places that work great for working.

I don't spend 8 hours in isolation. I lunch with my wife, pick the kids up from school and walk my dogs. I also get to go run on my local trails (as I can just work later / earlier from home to make up for it). As long as my work is done, the company does not care where / or how long I sit at a desk for. I don't have a big brother monitor making sure I stay isolated at my desk for 8 hours a day.

People are different.

Yes, people by and large are different. I'm sure there are some people who would enjoy social isolation. That said, in my experience most people who claim to be special and enjoy social isolation deeply regret it.

You're really against the idea of remote work, aren't you? I've been remote for almost 10 years. No regrets.

Well, personally I am. I also think it's the sort of thing where a lot of people like it until they actually experience it. That said, if you do enjoy it, all the best.

It's absolute bliss.