Question: I (male) recently started a very corporate job. I'm a recent grad so I'm younger than most of my coworkers, most of which are married/have kids. I get along pretty well with all of them.

There is another recent hire, also a recent grad, who is the exception to this. He hasn't said anything hostile or derisive to me, but his behavior specifically toward me is kind of *cold*.

He gets perceptibly annoyed when I try to join group conversations in which he is involved. He never asks for any elaboration when I tell stories (but he does when others regale him). He seems to avoid asking me for help when he goes around asking some coworkers when he's stuck, even on things he knows me to be good at.

I haven't the slightest idea what I've done to make him act this way toward me. I want to ask him to find out, but I don't want to exacerbate the tension. I think it would be a little melodramatic to approach my boss about this.

**How can I bring this up with my coworker?**

Answer: 
You must be aware that you cannot change this behaviour towards you. It is for this other colleague to change because you are already doing everything that you can to make things better. Plainly it appears that this colleague is not behaving appropriately towards you, and also it is evident that it is worrying for you and matters a lot to you.

The only thing that you can do is stay in each offensive moment with yourself and in this way overcome your perceptions about them. It may be that you will discover that some of this is self afflicted, but in either case if it stops mattering to you - the other person will give up being unpleasant eventually, because they will see that there is no reaction from you. Steer yourself towards the co-workers that share their time with you equally and normally. It is your feelings, the feelings of apprehension, of doubt and of confidence that have to change in order for this to stop mattering to you or worrying you. Free yourself of these feelings even if they run deep within you - and do not try to repair things by over reacting.
Just don't make a big deal of it, try to "get over it" emotionally so that his behaviour does not hurt you any more. Try to perceive it not as your problem but his problem: you are OK, but *he* seems to feel bad about interracting with you. Then you can simply approach him and ask him (at some suitable time, or perhaps you can invite him to have a glass of beer with you, or whatever): hey, you seem not to be very comfortable with me, what's the problem? What can I do to help you? Am I doing something that annoys you? Be generous and candid. If he just shows irrational hostility, scorn or the like, just pity him, withdraw and stop bothering about it - he clearly is not the kind of person whose opinion on you should matter to you. If he points to some particular reason why he dislikes you that can be fixed, you may promise to try to work on it. If it can't be (reasonably) fixed, at least try to make him aware that you understand his feelings. If he says he simply does not like you and refuses to give any particular reason, you may say something like "Oh, that's life, I am glad it is not my fault, please let me know if you can think of something I can do so that you feel better; meanwhile let's take it as a fact and try to get along with each other as well as we can, shall we?" Avoid being judgemental, avoid focusing on your own emotions (best leave them out of the issue entirely), don't demand an instant solution, be prepared to acknowledge your own fault if there is one , but don't be defensive, and above all, don't scrounge for respect (or anything at all).
Additionally, you can ask your other coworkers why they think the guy has problem with you.