Awkwardness

So, why do humans feel awkwardness? According to Ty Tashiro, author of the appropriately-titled book 'Awkward', this is part of human evolution. In hunter-gatherer times, sticking with social norms, like saying thank you when someone gives you something or waiting your turn for food, was a way to keep tight-knit groups together and keep out anyone who might be a threat. Today, we're still sensitive to tiny, even silly social customs like responding to "how are you" with "fine" as a sign of mutual respect. When you deviate from those norms, it's awkward. And for some people, these social graces just don't come naturally. Take eye contact, for example. Studies say the right amount of eye contact during conversations is about 3.3 seconds. But awkward people don't instinctively do that. But when we don't look people in the eyes, it makes them feel socially ostracized. According to Tashiro's work, awkward people tend to look at other parts of the face, like the chin or the ear, more than the eyes. Therefore, they might end up alienating the person they're talking to, and missing out on important information about how that person might be feeling. The good news is that if your brain isn't great at social cues, it might be good at other stuff instead. Research shows that many autistic people are amazing at memory, pattern recognition and problem-solving.