You’re Not Awkward, You’re Just Immature

I hear it all the time– the term “awkward.” People around my age have embraced the term to describe situations that makes them uncomfortable, and are increasingly using it to describe themselves.

It drives me fucking nuts. Guess what. The term “awkward” means to cause difficulty, or be hard to deal with. Is that how you’re like to describe yourself?

People think it’s cutesy. It’s not. Your online dating profile says you’re awkward? Why would I want to deal with that?

In today’s society, we choose forms of communication where our actions don’t have emotional consequences. We can ignore a text if we don’t know what to say. We can insult total strangers online with words we’d never say to their face.

Are these tweens more emotionally mature than you?

We can take the easy way out nearly every time. That’s what’s making us (well, you, not me) awkward. And it needs to stop.

Yeah, sure, some situations are awkward, like running into your sister’s rapist at a coffee shop, but most are not. Sure, there are some people who suffer from social anxiety, but you probably don’t.

These “awkward” situations are usually just everyday ones – you just make them awkward because you can’t adequately deal with your emotions.

And that’s fine. But instead of being immature about it and giggling while saying “Hehe, I’m awkward,” do something about it.

Everyone gets insecure at times. I know, I’ve been there. Sometimes the solution is to pound drinks left and right. But that only magnifies the underlying fears and concerns that we either

• don’t stack up to our company (looks, personality, career, etc.)
• don’t know what to say
• don’t know how to act.

Don’t pound drinks. And instead of playing the “I’m awkward” card or avoiding a situation because “it’s awkward,” take a minute and ask yourself if you’re ready to act like an adult.

Stop being immature and stop being afraid to have your feelings hurt because you don’t know the perfect thing to say on a date or the right joke to tell at a networking event.

I’ve put my foot in my mouth countless times, and I’m still here. Get over yourself and your giggle giggle “I’m awkward” routine. We get it. Give it a rest.

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“I’d like to be pimps from Oakland or cowboys from Arizona but it’s not Halloween. Grow up Peter Pan, Count Chocula.”