Awkwardness Quotes

“It's easier to floss with barbed wire than admit you like someone in middle school.”
― Laurie Halse Anderson, Speak

“All forms of madness, bizarre habits, awkwardness in society, general clumsiness, are justified in the person who creates good art.”
― Roman Payne, Rooftop Soliloquy

“It's funny, because you always think the hard part is meeting someone the first time. It's not. It's the second time, because you've already used up all the obvious topics of conversation. And even if you haven't, it's strange and heavy-handed to introduce random conversational topics at this stage in the game. Hi, Reid. Let's converse about topics. HOW MANY SIBLINGS DO YOU HAVE? WHAT BOOKS DO YOU LIKE?”
― Becky Albertalli, The Upside of Unrequited

“The existence of other people is essentially awkward.”
― Lionel Shriver, Checker and the Derailleurs

“Sam’s body language looked pretty stiff. I was too far away to hear, but I imagined her conversation with Alex was something like:
Sam: Awkward.
Alex: Awkward, awkward.
Sam (nodding): Awkward, awkward, awkward.”
― Rick Riordan, The Hammer of Thor

“Martin is your best friend, isn't he?' a sweet and well-intentioned girl once said when both of us were present: it was the only time I ever felt awkward about this precious idea, which seemed somehow to risk diminishment if it were uttered aloud.”
― Christopher Hitchens, Hitch 22: A Memoir

“Everyone claims to be okay with freedom of religion, but the moment you mention God there is a strange tension that fills the air. If there was a 6th sense, that would be it.”
― Criss Jami, Killosophy

“Awkward interests me, he said. At least when you are feeling awkward you are always thinking. When you are feeling fabulous, for example, rare occurrence that it may be, you stop thinking altogether. Which gets you into all kinds of trouble. Hence, you are for the better off feeling awkward. Just the sound of it on your tongue. Like chewing on screws.”
― Elizabeth Brundage, The Doctor's Wife

“I'm a lion in a strange land.”
― Criss Jami, Venus in Arms

“I’m not used to girls, or familiar with their customs. I feel awkward around them, I don’t know what to say. I know the unspoken rules of boys, but with girls I sense that I am always on the verge of some unforeseen, calamitous blunder.”
― Margaret Atwood, Cat's Eye

“He was one of those earnest, persevering dancers--the kind that have taken twelve correspondence lessons.”
― P.G. Wodehouse, The Man With Two Left Feet and Other Stories

“You see, I am not very good in company. I am clumsy. I am shy. [...] I always say the wrong thing. I upset water jugs. I am unlucky."
"We all do these things when we are young. The poise, the savoir faire, comes later.”
― Agatha Christie, Murder in Mesopotamia

“He paused at the bedroom door, shut his eyes, took a deep breath, and walked right out like it was any other morning, and he and Jack would be having breakfast as if they hadn't had sex the night before.
"Morning," he said, casting a quick glance over his shoulder.
"Mmm," D grunted.
"You done in the bathroom?"
D blinked. No, I jus' took a little breather in the middle a my mornin' beauty ritual ta come out here 'n' chat with ya. A course I'm done.”
― Jane Seville, Zero at the Bone

“I never really know the protocol for this kind of situation. It's like when you're in line at a store, and a grandma starts telling you all about her grandchildren or her arthritis, and you smile and nod along. But then it's your turn to check out, so you're just like okay, well, good-bye forever.”
― Becky Albertalli, The Upside of Unrequited

“I'd violated the primary rule of junior and senior high-- don't get people talking about you too much. This was wearing the brightest shirt on the playground. This was Mom giving you a kiss in the lobby.”
― Darin Strauss, Half a Life

“It was a little awkward walking behind his mom when, about eight hours ago, I had been rolling around on the floor with her son with my shirt pulled halfway up my back.”
― Katie Kacvinsky

“When we entered a classroom we always tossed our caps on the floor, to free our hands; as soon as we crossed the threshold we would throw them under the bench so hard that they struck the wall and raised a cloud of dust; this was "the way it should be done."

But the new boy either failed to notice this maneuver or was too shy to perform it himself, for he was still holding his cap on his lap at the end of the prayer. It was a head-gear of composite nature, combining elements of the busby, the lancer cap, the round hat, the otter-skin cap and the cotton nightcap--one of those wretched things whose mute ugliness has great depths of expression, like an idiot's face. Egg-shaped and stiffened by whalebone, it began with three rounded bands, followed by alternating diamond-shaped patches of velvet and rabbit fur separated by a red stripe, and finally there was a kind of bag terminating in a cardboard-lined polygon covered with complicated braid. A network of gold wire was attached to the top of this polygon by a long, extremely thin cord, forming a kind of tassel. The cap was new; its visor was shiny.

"Stand up," said the teacher.

He stood up; his cap fell. The whole class began to laugh.

He bent down and picked it up. A boy beside him knocked it down again with his elbow; he picked it up once again.

"Will you please put your helmet away?" said the teacher, a witty man.”
― Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary

“Awkwardness is an invitation to vulnerability.”
― Henna Pryor, Good Awkward: How to Embrace the Embarrassing and Celebrate the Cringe to Become The Bravest You

“Sometimes in our quest to be seen as credible and professional and sophisticated, we forget the value of our humanity.”
― Henna Pryor, Good Awkward: How to Embrace the Embarrassing and Celebrate the Cringe to Become The Bravest You

“Awkwardness isn't a weakness to fix. It's your greatest asset for professional and personal growth.”
― Henna Pryor, Good Awkward: How to Embrace the Embarrassing and Celebrate the Cringe to Become The Bravest You

“To feel awkward is to be human, and to avoid it entirely is a lie.”
― Henna Pryor, Good Awkward: How to Embrace the Embarrassing and Celebrate the Cringe to Become The Bravest You

“Fitting in and catering to others is not only overrated, but it also diminishes your performance.”
― Henna Pryor, Good Awkward: How to Embrace the Embarrassing and Celebrate the Cringe to Become The Bravest You

“Performing to meet others' expectations smothers your potential and is more hype than substance.”
― Henna Pryor, Good Awkward: How to Embrace the Embarrassing and Celebrate the Cringe to Become The Bravest You

“Unexpected mistakes can produce unexpected treasures.”
― Henna Pryor, Good Awkward: How to Embrace the Embarrassing and Celebrate the Cringe to Become The Bravest You

“Awkwardness can make the heart race, but don't let it set the pace.”
― Henna Pryor, Good Awkward: How to Embrace the Embarrassing and Celebrate the Cringe to Become The Bravest You

“Bravery requires being off balance.”
― Henna Pryor, Good Awkward: How to Embrace the Embarrassing and Celebrate the Cringe to Become The Bravest You

“The goal is to prepare ourselves for the road, not to expect the road to clear itself for us.”
― Henna Pryor, Good Awkward: How to Embrace the Embarrassing and Celebrate the Cringe to Become The Bravest You

“Don't let familiar pain beat unfamiliar gain.”
― Henna Pryor, Good Awkward: How to Embrace the Embarrassing and Celebrate the Cringe to Become The Bravest You

“as if the universe has finally created a moment so awkward, that it had stopped time itself”
― Jason Pargin, Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits

“I can't stand that shit - people talking about things they think they should talk about, so as not to be socially awkward.”
― Nick Bradley, El gato y la ciudad