Yeah, many things people haven't tried can sound terrible to them. But it turns out the experience of collaboration is not in fact "someone is constantly looking over my shoulder". Pairing may not be for you, and like any collaboration it takes time to learn to do well.

Honestly, I think whiteboard interviews are terrible. And pairing interviews can be a challenge to run, which is why I go way out of my way to make people feel comfortable in them. But done right, I think they are no worse than any other kind of interview, which inevitably puts people on the spot. And for many it's better, because coding is way more their strong suit than answering vague questions about their history and character.