Two People, One Office: A Psychological Assessment

The setting: Two adults -- one male, one female, each working from home -- share a small office for ten hours a day. The male, hunched over four loud, heat-generating computers, only stirs once every few hours to stretch his dodgy knee. The female, distracted by the noise of the street and the Internet, ventures periodically into the kitchen for sustenance -- most often of the chocolate variety.

The conflict: Several factors appear to cause strife between the two. One such factor appears to be when the female collects more than five mugs on her desk, leading the male to abandon his work to fulfil his compulsion to wash said mugs. Another factor is observable when the female leaves her desk, returns with food and proceeds to eat without providing for the male. It cannot be said, however, that the male is without blame. He frequently interrupts the female's work with exclamations and interjections, and often takes long conference calls within the female's vicinity.

The resolution: As the couple reside in Central London, moving to a larger flat is not an option. It is predicted that after a period of initial irritation, both will become immune to the minor conflicts and a lengthy period of calm will descend. Alternatively, the female will crush the male's computers with force, banishing him elsewhere.

It cannot be foretold which outcome is more likely to occur.