Have you ever felt so incómodo during social gatherings and conversations that you were afraid of how other people perceived you?
Being awkward is not a bad thing; in fact, many people who are awkward tend to be very kind, insightful, and funny once they get used to others.
But social situations can sometimes feel more complicated than they should. You may over-analyze what was said, miss obvious social signs, or have awkward moments without realizing it.
The positive part is that the majority of people experience awkwardness from time to time. If any of the following apply to you, you’re probably just navigating your social life with slight social awkwardness at the moment.
1. You Replay Conversations For Days
If you question every single word you say to others, you might have social awkwardness.
After social activity, you likely relive every conversation that took place and analyze whether or not your joke was funny, if the other person understood what you meant to say, or whether or not you waved too dramatically when leaving.
Although most people likely don’t remember your conversation, you could still be reflecting on it days later. Awkward people are typically very self-aware, which can be helpful. Your challenge is knowing when to stop reviewing the past and return to the present.
2. You Never Know What To Do With Your Hands
It often happens somewhere in the middle of a social situation that you start to realize you actually have hands.
At some point, you begin to question if your hands should stay in your pockets, be folded in front of you, hold a drink, or be used to provide natural gesturing. The more you question yourself regarding your hands, the more awkward it seems to be.
Awkward people will often have moments in which the most normal things they do suddenly become very complicated.
You may think that people are watching what you do; however, they are likely too occupied with their own self-esteem issues to notice the position of your hands.
3. You Accidentally Interrupt People
Many awkward people do not interrupt because they are trying to be rude; they interrupt because they become overly enthusiastic, think about something important, and/or are worried about forgetting what they were going to say.
It typically happens when you want to say something at the same time as someone else.
You may inadvertently interrupt someone midway through their sentence and then end up feeling embarrassed because you realize that you have interrupted them and, in turn, feel embarrassed about being enthusiastic.
The challenge is to learn how to balance between wanting to contribute to a conversation and waiting.
4. You Practice Future Conversations In Advance
Individuals who feel awkward often tend to prepare mentally for conversations that will (probably) never occur.
For example, when making a phone call, going out with friends, or meeting new people, it’s common to rehearse one or several variations of the conversation in your mind.
It may also include imagining how you will answer follow-up questions or what the other person’s responses will be.
While practice can be helpful, those who feel awkward will frequently prepare a complete script of everything that will occur during these events, yet most of the things you prepare for may never happen.
5. You Laugh At The Wrong Moment
Everyone has had several awkward experiences when it comes to laughter.
Occasionally, people laugh when they don’t understand what is happening or feel awkward, anxious, unsure of what to say, or surprised.
Sometimes people remember these events as embarrassing moments. The positive side of this is that most people know that if someone is laughing randomly, or if they are laughing for no reason, they probably weren’t being rude, just awkward.
6. You Overthink Greetings And Goodbyes
For some people, the beginning and end of a conversation can be really challenging. Do you shake hands, wave, nod, hug, or just say hi? Awkward people often spend more time worrying about how they should greet someone over the actual conversation.
Saying goodbye can be even trickier; it can be difficult to figure out how to leave a group of people or how to say goodbye.
Most people couldn’t care less about how someone greets them, but an awkward person thinks they do. Therefore, in most situations, being confident is more important than being perfect.
7. You Remember Embarrassing Moments From Years Ago
Most people can only remember the embarrassing events in their lives for a few days, but some can remember them for years.
Sometimes, during the evening, you may remember an awkward moment from a long time ago. Often, those memories will come up unexpectedly when you are trying to fall asleep. Awkwardness is usually a social issue that people worry about.
Most of the time, though, these types of events are not as significant as you think. The reason you remember is that you care about how you connect with others, and not because you did something bad.
8. You Sometimes Say Things Too Literally
Some people don’t always know if they are supposed to give a social answer or if they should provide a factual one.
When people ask a casual question, you might take it literally and provide a very truthful, detailed answer. It turns a simple conversation into a complex situation. Often, people who are awkward value being honest and factual.
There is a time and place for providing a detailed response, and there is a time and place for providing a simple response. Knowing the difference is key.
9. You Feel Comfortable After The Event Ends
Some people are less confident in social situations, and they’re cómodo with themselves after the social experience has finished.
Afterwards, you may think about great one-liners, funny comebacks, and entertaining stories that you could have used. While you are in a social situation, you are trying to process what is happening socially.
After an event, you are no longer under pressure to perform, and you can become relaxed but also creative. Most people actually feel like this, and it is very normal.
10. People Often Find You Endearing Anyway
Many awkward people think others are always judging their social mistakes. However, they will often find their friend’s social awkwardness to be funny, relatable, and lovable.
This shows that social mistakes will create a human feeling for someone, and many people remember and have a connection to other awkward people through their imperfect social performances.
Thus, in general, people tend to prefer awkwardness over fake identities.
Born and raised in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ever since I was a little girl, my imagination knew no bounds. I remember vividly how I’d scribble down short stories, each page bursting with adventures and characters conjured up from the whimsy of my mind. These stories weren’t just for me; they were my way of connecting with my friends, offering them a slice of my fantasy world during our playtimes. The joy and excitement on their faces as we dived into my fictional realms motivated me to keep writing. This early passion for storytelling naturally evolved into my pursuit of writing, turning a childhood hobby into a fulfilling career.