We all experience them.
The amount of stress that they cause us differs, but they are present in all of our lives nonetheless: those little anxiety-inducing situations that we find ourselves locked in every now and again. We know that everyone goes through them, but somehow this knowledge doesn't seem to help us in the moment. But, just to reinforce this knowledge, I've compiled a list of some of the most awkward moments that we may experience on a daily basis, just as a reminder that you're not alone!
1. When someone doesn't laugh at your joke.
Immediately you run through every word that just came out of your mouth. Was it offensive somehow? Did you not explain it well enough? Did they just not hear you? Or...was it just not funny? Whatever the reason, you end up sitting there drifting like a castaway in a sea of uncertainty, looking for a lifeline to carry you into a new subject, feeling the penetrating, humorless stare of the other person burn into you as you do so (okay, so maybe it's not that intense, but it's still not pleasant).
2. When you don't know whether to hold the door open or not.
You don't want them to feel obligated to speed up, but you also don't want to let the door shut in their face. So what do you do? Hold it open and smile awkwardly.
3. When your stomach rumbles in a quiet class.
It's like telling an impatient child to stop complaining about being hungry. And there's really nothing you can do to stop it. And people probably don't judge you for the noises your stomach makes as much as you think, but that doesn't stop you from trying to play it off as nonchalantly as possible.
4. When you wave back at someone who was actually waving to the person behind you.
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Oh, I was totally just reaching up to smooth my hair back.
5. When you make eye contact with someone as you walk towards them.
...and don't know whether to look back down or expect to be greeted. Sometimes you'll casually take one headphone out if it's someone you know semi-well...which creates another awkward situation when they don't acknowledge you. Oh, no, I wasn't expecting conversation from you at all... *awkwardly twirls earbud whose removal from your ear had nothing to do with you whatsoever*
6. When the professor calls you out.
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Even if it's a good thing, like them making you stand up for being the only one to get 100% on a test. There's nothing like getting the undivided attention of a bunch of your peers all at once, right? And if it's them openly praising you, you kind of just stand there (or sit, depending on if they really want to embarrass you or not) with this look on your face that feigns surprise. Because you don't want to look like you were expecting a good grade or anything, and have that "I'm better than all of you" vibe come off, right? And if it's a bad thing, like them asking very loudly why you couldn't follow the directions once again, then all you want to do is wrap yourself up in an invisibility cloak of unmet expectations.
7. When you're bad at something you're supposed to be good at.
Not surprisingly, this is why most people aren't as willing to own up to their best attributes - they're worried they might fail, and not live up to the expectations that their boasting puts forth. It's way easier to say, "I'm not really that
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good at that thing" than "Oh, yeah! I'm really good at that thing". For instance, if you say "Oh, yeah! I'm really good at art!", and end up screwing up the poster you had to make for that group project, well...
8. When you decide against the food at the buffet but the chef is looking at you.
That ravioli looked a lot better just a few seconds ago, before your hand was already on the tongs and had picked some up. Come to think of it, maybe you'll just get a bowl of fruit...you're not that hungry after all. But right on the other side of those ravioli is a pair of watchful eyes just waiting for you to put those tongs back down. You can almost hear their thoughts. What? You don't like my ravioli? ...well...maybe I'll take some after all...
9. Making eye contact between the stall doors.
Because actual doors are too much trouble, right?
10. When you're talking about someone without realizing that they're nearby.
And a lot of the time, it's not even a bad thing. But trying to figure out whether or not they heard you? And if they heard you, whether or not they're judging you or think that you're a bad person?
11. When you have to crawl over people to get to your seat at the movies.
Just. Close contact. With strangers. In a room attempting to be quiet. Apologizing for every person you squeeze by. Maybe sitting in the middle wasn't such a good idea after all.
12. When you're walking next to someone and your hands touch.
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This indescribably awkward moment is amplified if it's someone you're even mildly attracted to. Actually, it doesn't really matter who it is - it's just cringe-worthily awkward. Maybe you can just move your hand away really quickly without them noticing. But you know they will.The bottom line here is that we all experience these awkward moments just about every day. In an attempt to alleviate the emotionally scarring burden of bearing these usually brief moments in time, it helps to know that most people are either understanding and forgiving or entirely oblivious - because they experience these things too. So don't worry - next time, you can put the ravioli back and keep your head held high.
