Life is hard when you’re socially awkward. You never know how to deal with people especially strangers, you constantly worry that everyone will think you’re a freak and everyday situations can be rather tragic! It’s not that you don’t like people, it’s just that you don’t know how to act around them. Not sure if you're socially awkward? Well, do these situations sound familiar?
1 Going to a Stranger’s Party with a Friend Who Knows Everyone There
It’s the weekend and somehow your friend has convinced you to go to this party where you don’t know anyone and you’re dreading it! Your thought process goes a little something like this: “What will I say? What if X leaves me alone for more than five minutes?! Who will I hang out with?! I really hope there’s a pet at this party” because somehow you get along better with animals than with people.
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2 Sharing the Elevator
You’re alone in the elevator and just as it’s about to close you see someone walking towards it in a rush. You mentally will the elevator to close faster but of course that’s not going to happen, so you’re now stuck with someone in an elevator. It’s bad if it’s a stranger, worse if it’s an acquaintance.
3 Being the First to Reach Anywhere
So your friends and you are meeting at the new restaurant in town and you’re the first one to make it. Aaa! You call your friends a bunch of times, you pretend to text someone, you decide you hate your friends and you vow never to be on time again.
4 The Dreaded Small Talk
You let your hair grow out for as long as possible because you’re terrified of making small talk with the hairstylist. You put on your earphones as soon as you get on the plane or train because God forbid you end up next to a talkative co-passenger. You dread having to take the subway with an acquaintance. Basically, any scenario that requires small talk gives you the heebie-jeebies.
5 Meeting Your Partner’s Parents
You love your sweetie and you know it has to be done. But you avoid it for as long as possible because you’re petrified they won’t like you. What if you say the wrong thing or worse, what if you can’t say anything at all?!
6 Accidental Eye Contact
You didn’t mean to, but it has happened. You have just made eye contact with someone. What next? Do you smile? Do you look away? Do you pretend to look past them? Awkward!
7 “Flirting”
Perhaps the hardest thing for a socially awkward person is to figure out the art of flirting. You’re not very good at it yourself and you almost never get it when someone else is flirting with you until they literally spell it out for you.
8 Phone Calls
I swear I have a little panic attack every time my phone rings. Why do people need to call me when you can just text? Haven't you heard of WhatsApp?
9 Saying Hello to a Date
You’re never quite sure if it’s a hug or handshake moment so you awkwardly do the half hug and then make it worse by saying “That was awkward”. I hate to admit it, but that has happened to me more than once!
10 Bumping into Your Neighbour
Are you the kind of person who looks through the peephole before you leave your house just to make sure there’s no one in the hallway? Because if you bump into your neighbour, you have to say hello, and then you have to make small talk, and the next thing you know you're invited to his party. No, thank you.
11 When You’re Left Alone with Someone You Just Met
What are you possibly going to talk about? The weather? The last movie you watched? Life goals? The pressure is EXTREME.
12 When Someone Says Hi and You Can’t Remember Where You Know Them from
Okay, this is awkward for anyone but especially for a socially awkward person. Do you play along and hope that you'll remember them somewhere in the middle of the conversation? Come on brain! Help! Or should you just be honest? Psssh...just smile and play along.
Does this sound like you? Yes? Welcome to the world of the socially awkward. We've been waiting for you.
