These 30 Mistakes Are Accidentally Making You Come Across As Socially Awkward

If you don’t want to come across as socially awkward, follow this advice from Ask Reddit.

A socially awkward woman
Unsplash /
Allan Ferreira

1. You apologize when you don’t need to apologize

“I used to be socially awkward imo, now I get told quite often I’m socially adept and outgoing. Here’s what I changed that I haven’t seen mentioned yet.

-Apologizing for things you don’t need to apologize for. If you walk in your own house and your roommates are watching TV, you don’t need to say “sorry” if you made a little bit of noise coming in. Same with if you sidewalk-shuffle a person. Be comfortable in your own skin, find the humor in it and move on. The world will turn whether or not the others are offended.

-Tangentially, being overly diplomatic. It’s cool to be easygoing and agreeable, but you don’t need to pretend you’re someone you’re not to accommodate others’ views and preferences. It just makes you seem like a rug.

-The final one is laughing too loud and often. I’m still pretty guilty of this tbh. Be conscious of your laughter. People will feel like they have to work to impress you, making you a formidable entity in their eyes.

Don’t take any of this to mean that you shouldn’t be fun and easygoing if that’s your personality. IRL I’m the most happy go lucky person I know. Just be aware of the difference between appearing like a yes-man and like an individual who can think for themselves.” — thirtiethst

2. You choose the wrong moment to speak

“Not choosing the right moment to speak while in a group.

If you have something to say, don’t say it when other people are mid conversation. Instead, wait it out. Every group conversion has a few moments when there’s nothing to speak. When all go quiet. That’s when you say what you have to say.

If you can’t do that, then what you say it’s just gonna drown unnoticed.” — UserSM

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