Awkwardness : a theory

Author / Creator

Plakias, Alexandra, author

Available as

Online

Physical

Summary

"This is awkward: you greet an acquaintance you haven't seen for a while. One of you goes in for a hug; the other initially offers a handshake, then leans in, by which time the hugger is hesitating...

"This is awkward: you greet an acquaintance you haven't seen for a while. One of you goes in for a hug; the other initially offers a handshake, then leans in, by which time the hugger is hesitating. In the end, you both do a half-hearted back pat, and then settle into stilted small talk. Variation: suppose the friend is one from who you've been estranged- your last encounter ended in a falling-out, but that was some time ago, and you haven't spoken since. Does this make things more awkward? This is awkward, too: you're a graduate student having dinner with a distinguished visiting speaker who wants to hear more about your research. Suddenly, as you're talking, a piece of food flies out of your mouth and lands on their pristine black sweater. Did they see it? Do they know? They must know. But there's no acknowledgement; you try not to stare at it, and continue the interaction, saying nothing. And this is awkward: someone you consider a friend is engaging in inappropriate flirting at work. They've been going to bars with subordinates after work, and even hooked up with one or two. You think this is sexual harassment, and you know you should talk to them about it, but you can't seem to figure out how to have the conversation"--

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