# Do you ever feel socially awkward? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 3, 2019, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-feel-socially-awkward/828866 "2019-02-03T04:05:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2019, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-feel-socially-awkward/828866/1 "2019-02-03T04:05:43Z")
I was reading a woman’s profile on a dating site, and one of the multiple choice questions was the thread title. I was surprised to even see it, because I instantly thought, of course, everyone feels socially awkward sometime. Then I saw that this woman had actually answered “no”. Well, I am without a doubt more socially awkward than the average person, but I’m a bit surprised that there actually are any people who **never** feel awkward. I’m really interested to see what the poll results will be. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2019, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-feel-socially-awkward/828866/2 "2019-02-03T04:14:14Z")
Only 90% of the time. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2019, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-feel-socially-awkward/828866/3 "2019-02-03T05:40:11Z")
This might be our first unanimous poll. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2019, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-feel-socially-awkward/828866/4 "2019-02-03T05:47:56Z")
I voted yes. Altho’ it’s not as much as it could be. I tend to shy away from situations unless I know the people well. I have a friend who often runs interference for me. She volunteers with me and is always there for me. My biggest problem is shopping. I know, I know. For some reason I attract the weirdos at Wal-Mart. Take my word for it, there’s a bunch of them in every Wal-Mart. People just take a look at me and see ‘harmless sucker’ printed on my head. They feel the need to talk to me and get in my face. I don’t like folks in my personal space. I am kinda a germaphobe too. So it can be pure torture to go there. I keep trying. ---
**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2019, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-feel-socially-awkward/828866/5 "2019-02-03T05:55:22Z")
I voted and then looked at the results. I am surprised to be the only no. (yet) Maybe it is slanted by the fact that it is Saturday night here in the US and only (mostly) the socially awkward are on a message board. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2019, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-feel-socially-awkward/828866/6 "2019-02-03T06:20:17Z")
I voted yes, because while it is pretty rare, I have felt socially awkward in a few situations. In general, no I don’t feel that way. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2019, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-feel-socially-awkward/828866/7 "2019-02-03T15:24:27Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > … but I’m a bit surprised that there actually are any people who **never** feel awkward. Con-men, Narcissists and General Run-of-the-Mill Assholes. edit: I should have looked at the results first! Present company excluded, of course! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2019, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-feel-socially-awkward/828866/8 "2019-02-03T15:29:24Z")
Yes. Not often anymore, but sometimes. I particularly hate funerals. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2019, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-feel-socially-awkward/828866/9 "2019-02-03T15:34:06Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Yes. Not often anymore, but sometimes. I particularly hate funerals. Funerals are exactly what I was thinking of when I answered yes. I have attended two in the last week unfortunately. Both had teenage children or grandchildren. Have absolutely no idea what to say to them. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2019, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-feel-socially-awkward/828866/10 "2019-02-03T15:41:12Z")
Yeah, wakes/memorials/funerals are always an odd one for me. It helps to realize that it’s pretty awkward for most people. I feel pretty confident in one-and-one and small group situations, but I tend to usually feel a little bit out-of-place in larger “mixer” types of settings where I don’t know anyone or I only know just the host. Like I always enjoyed first dates, meeting clients for the first time, talking to the cashier at the store, etc. But put me in a networking event or large house party with people I mostly don’t know and I usually feel a bit lost. No always–sometimes a particular set of strangers will just click pretty quickly with me, but usually it’s a bit unnerving for me. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2019, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-feel-socially-awkward/828866/11 "2019-02-03T16:35:43Z")
I don’t feel socially awkward I am socially awkward, always and forever. ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2019, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-feel-socially-awkward/828866/12 "2019-02-03T17:02:16Z")
Context is everything. Funerals don’t bother me, been going to them basically all my life (very large, but relatively close knit, extended family) Oh lawdy me, trying to read the signals, ask out a woman I find attractive, or if I’ve managed to fumble my way past that into a date, reading the signals, trying to figure out what to say and do. In those situations I am !!The God of Socially Awkward!! made flesh. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2019, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-feel-socially-awkward/828866/13 "2019-02-03T17:15:54Z")
I’m like pulykamell and unlike guestchaz. One-on-one situations and dates are fine for me. A group of people I know well is also fine. A group of strangers – no, not fine at all. A group of strangers who know each other and are having animated conversations that I’m trying to somehow participate in – that’s pretty much my nightmare scenario. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2019, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-feel-socially-awkward/828866/14 "2019-02-04T01:58:35Z")
I went no; unless I am expecting to be meeting a person only to walk into a crowd of 500 people (it happened once) I can swing almost anything. I may not feel comfortable but I will almost never feel uncomfortable. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2019, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-feel-socially-awkward/828866/15 "2019-02-04T03:14:17Z")
OP: you should have provided a range of options. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2019, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-feel-socially-awkward/828866/16 "2019-02-04T03:29:12Z")
I gave the same options that the dating site gave. I was surprised to see someone actually answer no to this as a yes/no question, and wanted to see how common that is. Apparently not very common, but more common than I expected. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2019, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-feel-socially-awkward/828866/17 "2019-02-04T03:33:48Z")
This is an internet message board. I think the question would have been better stated as, “Are there ever times when you DON’T feel socially awkward?” ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2019, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-feel-socially-awkward/828866/18 "2019-02-04T03:36:03Z")
Commonly, though not as much as I used to. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2019, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-feel-socially-awkward/828866/19 "2019-02-04T10:56:23Z")
Of course, bud oddly, funerals don’t bother me much. Maybe because I know (and sense) that virtually everyone else present is feeling their own awkwarditity. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2019, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-feel-socially-awkward/828866/20 "2019-02-04T11:30:48Z")
Only in the company of people, so I try to avoid that. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-ever-feel-socially-awkward/828866.md?page=2)