Being socially awkward is a common problem for singles, including single members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. What does it mean to be “socially awkward”? It basically means coming across as nervous or tense around others in a social situation. This generally makes others feel uncomfortable, even repelled. Social awkwardness is basically a combination of a lack of social skills in combination with social anxiety. Taken together, it tends to create an unpleasant atmosphere that others usually want to avoid. And in the singles scene, social awkwardness has led to the loss of many relationship opportunities and connections.
Examples of Social Awkwardness:
*Showing Anxiety: Inner worries of possibly saying or doing the wrong thing can result in outer tenseness and rigidity. Muscle tension, fast breathing, over-heating, sped up speech, and other outer signs of anxiety generally result in an unattractive reaction from another.
*Missing Non-Verbal Social Cues: When another person sends you meaning through a particular tone of voice, facial expression, or body language that is missed or otherwise misinterpreted, it can result in a mismatch with the way you respond. This “off” reaction results in awkwardness and the other wondering why you are missing the message. Often the assumption is that you just don’t care, weren’t paying attention, or are insensitive. None of those conclusions will go well.
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