Awkward Quotes

“Chronically awkward people can feel like everyone else received a secret instruction manual at birth titled "How to be Socially Competent." For the awkward person, this dreamy manual would provide easy-to-understand, step-by-step instructions on how to gracefully navigate social life, avoid embarrassing faux pas, and rid oneself of the persistent anxiety that comes with being awkward.”
― Ty Tashiro, Awkward: The Science of Why We're Socially Awkward and Why That's Awesome

“Modern dating is like hosting for a dinner that has been pushed back from 7pm to 9pm. You do not want to put the duck in the oven too early and you don't want to eat a full meal while you're waiting for your late dinner. But you also get hungry in the meantime. You decide to snack. You start out pretty healthy with some baby carrots, then decide those carrots need some ranch, shift to something more substantial like a hotpocket, and next thing you know you're eating nutella out of the jar. The demise in the quality of the food does not sit well with you and suddenly you're wondering why you decided to snack in the first place.
Such is the life of the modern single who hopes to find love but not too soon.”
― Ty Tashiro, Awkward: The Science of Why We're Socially Awkward and Why That's Awesome

“For awkward people who are prone to social clumsiness, navigating the world of emotions can feel like walking through the glassware section of a store with a large backpack.”
― Ty Tashiro, Awkward: The Science of Why We're Socially Awkward and Why That's Awesome

“Studies that look at what happens when people have nothing to think about or let their minds wander show that non-awkward people tend to keep their social brain running at all times, even when there is no social activity. By comparison, awkward people do not seem to keep their social brain running at all times and might need to be reminded to turn the ignition on for their social brain.”
― Ty Tashiro, Awkward: The Science of Why We're Socially Awkward and Why That's Awesome

“Instead of trying to think about how I could nickel-and-dime my way to social inclusion through meeting small expectations, I began to see that if I approached each situation asking, 'How can I contribute?' that the specifics tended to take care of themselves.”
― Ty Tashiro, Awkward: The Science of Why We're Socially Awkward and Why That's Awesome

“Ellie looked as if they were discussing something that she had never heard about, the look kids have at the dinner table while grown-ups discuss politics or granite countertops.”
― Ty Tashiro, Awkward: The Science of Why We're Socially Awkward and Why That's Awesome

“One way that clinicians exert caution while trying to make a diagnosis is through use of something called the rule of five. Clinicians usually ask patients about what seems to be troubling them. As they describe their symptoms, clinicians are taught to begin generating a list of the five most probable diagnoses based on their symptoms. The imperative to generate an overly inclusive list of possible explanations is a shortcut that helps clinicians avoid selecting the first explanation that pops into their heads. It reminds them to consider both diagnostic and non-diagnosable explanations for symptoms.”
― Ty Tashiro, Awkward: The Science of Why We're Socially Awkward and Why That's Awesome