Rant:
I CANNOT STAND PEOPLE WHO ALWAYS MAKE THINGS AWKWARD. IT'S ONLY AWKWARD IF YOU MAKE IT.
Rant over.
Whew, now that I have that off my chest, let me explain to you why I feel this way toward the whole concept of awkwardness. It's only awkward if you make it. So don't make it awkward, it's really not that hard. Being active in the social scene, I witness this far too often, of someone saying "oh no I can't do that, it's so awkward" or "ohhhh I'm so awkward though". Well, then don't make it and you'll be fine!
The fear of awkwardness is one of the biggest phobias I've seen in college. Yeah, they may be nervous and reserved, and maybe that is just how they are, and that's completely okay. But it comes to a point where...come on...step outside of your comfort zone and live a little! Some of the most life-changing things happen when you step out of your comfort zone, deal with the awkwardness, or don't even let it creep into the situation and take a leap of faith. I also think that the more you face your fear the fuller your life will be and doors will open that you never thought would ever, do.
In fact, the United States is one of the only places where the concept of awkwardness exists. Some cultures don't even have a word for awkward and don't understand how the concept works. When I was in traveling in Israel last spring, locals would ask us Americans all the time to explain the concept and try to understand how it works. When answering, we really had no idea what to say, because it's is such a pointless concept that makes everybody confused.
In conclusion, I think the concept of being "awkward" should be banned from our society because it just puts unnecessary stress on ourselves. Go out there and be fearless. Remember, it's only awkward if you make it. So DON'T MAKE IT AWKWARD! Simple.
