The Upside of Being Awkward
The science of awkwardness. Hi. Want to get my new email newsletter? Okay: https://mailchi.mp/4cc014f830f4/normaldistribution Cringeworthy: A Theory of Awkwardness, by Melissa Dahl http://amzn.to/...
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So the other day I went to shake someone’s hand and they went for a fistbump and then I went for a high five and then they went back to a handshake. Awkward. We’ve all fumbled, tripped and rolled our way into some pretty awkward situations. So I wanted to explore why these uncomfortable situations make us feel awkward. And it may come as a surprise that awkwardness can have benefits. The feeling of awkwardness seems to trigger several emotions at once: Anxiety, surprise, fear, embarrassment, uncertainty. But most importantly, it makes you feel self-conscious. In her new book, Cringeworthy: A Theory of Awkwardness, science journalist Melissa Dahl suggests that Awkwardness is when you suddenly become overly conscious of yourself, because you becom...
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So the other day I went to shake someone’s hand and they went for a fistbump and then I went for a high five and then they went back to a handshake. Awkward. We’ve all fumbled, tripped and rolled our way into some pretty awkward situations. So I wanted to explore why these uncomfortable situations make us feel awkward. And it may come as a surprise that awkwardness can have benefits. The feeling of awkwardness seems to trigger several emotions at once: Anxiety, surprise, fear, embarrassment, uncertainty. But most importantly, it makes you feel self-conscious. In her new book, Cringeworthy: A Theory of Awkwardness, science journalist Melissa Dahl suggests that Awkwardness is when you suddenly become overly conscious of yourself, because you becom...
