Aaawkward!

[Hana]

We all have these times when we feel awkward, cause the atmosphere with other people to become awkward, or just overall get into an awkward situation. Some of us are able to roll with it or move on to make it less so, and some of us don't have as much luck. I'm awkward with strangers because I'm always careful with them, and I don't speak up a lot which makes them think I either don't pay attention to them or I'm too shy (which might be true). I also feel awkward about speaking up in voice chats... Which is why as @Alan said no one has heard my voice (on Iwaku at least) in a year. :3

What do you do when you get these feelings or situations? Would you rather dodge them or face them? Share any experiences?

 

[Greenie]

Awkward is my middle name

Nah, I kid. But it is something I tend to feel every day. When I do get into such situations, I try to make the best of it, laugh it off, or say something to change the subject.

Most awkward for me is when someone calls me and then expects me to lead the conversation. Like, why? T.T

I also get super awkward when two people are arguing and I'm just... there. I tend to skedaddle at those times. I've enough stress in my life, thanks!

 

[Gwazi Magnum]

I usually only get awkward with IRL strangers. More specifically, those who are associated with relatives (aka. the connection is someone I don't relate to despite knowing them).

If it's a usual stranger I'm not overly talkative but I can have small casual conversations just fine.
If it's connected through a relative though? Once in a while tension breaks through a mutual interest, but usually I just continue with my business.

 

[Hatsune Candy]

Whenever I go to some kind of family gathering, because even after all these years no one seems to understand just how much I hate socializing.

 

[Poe Dameron]

Lately there's been a lot of awkward during bilateral meetings in regard to Okinawa defense policy realignment initiative work because of the local government's stoppage of work to relocate Futenma Marine Corps Air Station to northern Okinawa (Camp Schwab). US and Japan have been stopped by the Okinawa governor, basically, and sometimes the meetings get tense and awkward because one side points a finger at the other, and vice versa.

My natural reaction is to cringe, which I did initially... I wasn't directly involved as none of the Army installations under my responsibility are affected. Then it evolved to simply smiling big... the personnel on my side of the room (mostly) see it and it eases the tension. I hear some giggling on the other side as well.

Simply smiling in a tense situation can cut through the thickest of awkward moments... sometimes.

 

[King]

I am the most blind person to awkwardness with strangers. Actually i'm usually the cause of the awkwardness 8) I talk loud and usually don't understand peoples boundaries. People's first impressions of me are usually "Holy dick is King loud" and when it does get awkward, people have to ask me afterwards how i kept talking through it lmao.

I have experienced awkward times when friends have argued and were in close quarters. Like, i'm sitting between two people who won't look at each other. I try my usual "talk it out" but when that doesn't work, i get awkward too 8)

 

[LogicfromLogic]

I once called the wrong number and the guy on the other line was having sex with someone. That was awkward.

How did I deal with it? I stuttered and hung up the pone. And took a shower. And turned the phone off and decided that I was done talking to people for the day.

 

[Gwazi Magnum]

I talk loud and usually don't understand peoples boundaries. People's first impressions of me are usually "Holy dick is King loud"

From what I remember from the old Skype group I'm not surprised. XD

 

[Jorick]

I usually crack a joke about the cause of the awkwardness or the awkwardness itself (like "well that was a fun awkward silence, moving on now...") and then move on as if its no big deal, because it really usually isn't. It's not that I'm some savvy socialite who is pro at defusing awkward situations, I just know the weird feeling of awkwardness will only get worse the more time passes so I cut that shit off as a means of self defense. :P

 

[Kestrel]

I laugh at it and move on. Moving on because it's the only way to get out of it make a joke to defuse the sense of "I did something wrong what is he thinking omygod" people tend to have.

Either that or my mean spirited sense of humour takes over, just to see how much more awkward and uncomfortable I can make it.

 

[Havoc]

I feel very awkward when strangers, in real life, strike up conversations with me about their personal lives. I have no idea what to say other than smile politely before excusing myself to continue what I was doing. I remember waiting in line, a long one at that, at the grocery store where the woman behind me first talked about the wait time then proceeded to get into a rant about her family, what her kids were doing from what her husband wasn't.

 

[Absyinthe_Artica]

Hehehhe, I love being awkward. It is fun to make awkward situations happen at work. I am sure there are plenty of introverts that walk into Dominos when I am working and have felt plenty awkward from my loud welcome! I scare people half the time too and it is just so fun because they are frightened by happy awkwardness. :D My co workers put up with it but I know I make it pretty awkward for them sometimes with my Over-the-Top Extrovert personality. ^.^ Strangers don't make me feel awkward, I am excited to meet new people and to welcome them. It is usually others who feel pleasantly awkward around me. ^.^

 

[junebug]

I feel awkward when I go to my step-dad's family reunions. It's not really all that fun for me. All I do is sit, eat, and say hello to strangers. >>

 

[Atmo]

I say anything I have in mind until someone else shows up or the person in question goes away to do something else.

They always go away.

Always.

 

[LogicfromLogic]

That moment you misread a thread and post complete babble and apologize to @Kitti, hoping they will realize that you're an idiot and move on(seriously sorry Kitti for that). Talk about awkward.

 

[Dipper]

Book it into oblivion. Then, I think about it for the rest of my nonexistence.

 

[Fel of the Eternal Forest]

I have social anxiety. So even if it turns out that the situation wasn't awkward, I feel awkward because I'm terrified to be around people.

 

[Brovo]

Laugh it off and move on. I'm too old to be self-conscious over minor social errors.

 

[Kitti]

I just laugh it off and try to quickly brush it under the rug and make it as unmemorable as possible.

So I have two sets of large windows, one facing the grass and one facing a street. I keep the windowsill facing the street covered in plants and the cat can sit on the one facing the grass. Sometimes, as a treat, I pick the cat up and take her people watching out the other window because she enjoys it so much.

I did that the other day, first thing in the morning while I was making coffee, hair a mess and pajamas still on. As I lifted her up to look out the window, a man passed by underneath. He looked up. He made eye contact with me. While I was looking at him through my window and lifting my cat up to the glass.

I am smooth as hell.

 

[Celest]

When I do awkward things I either narrate them or babble. But, I make things weird sometimes >.< if I'm talking to a stranger and they say something that reminds me of a story in my life I end up babbling the story.

And a narration example iiisss.. I was at work playing with this thick plastic bag thing. I was waving it around because I was trying to make an air pillow? I dunno. Anyway, I hit myself in the face with it while people are watching. So, I retell the experience. Saying something along the lines of "You know, I could just smack myself in the face with a bag."