Being friendly with your fellow employees does not mean that you have to toss your work aside and jump aboard the gossip bandwagon. You can work very diligently while maintaining friendly and cordial relations with your fellow employees. The real question is what you want in your job.
If you are bothered by being viewed as stuck-up or anti-social, then you can try to drop some of the barriers and open the lines of communication with your co-workers. Since you describe yourself as being "very outgoing," you would probably be happier by doing so.
Importantly, you can do this without having to abandon your work ethic or personal values. The fact is that you can control the amount of time that you spend socializing with others, and if you do not like the way a conversation is going, you can excuse yourself.
Another point to remember is that if your work calls for teamwork, coordination, or interaction with your associates, being friendlier can actually help you get your job done. Through increased interaction with others, you may find more personal productivity, more job satisfaction, and more friends.
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