I'm taking a really cool class this semester called Nonverbal Communication and today we were discussing unspoken behavioral rules that everyone just knows to follow. Apparently, if you want to be socially awkward:
Stare at people for prolonged periods of time.
After shaking someone's hand, keep holding on and similarly,
After shaking someone's hand, keep holding on and similarly,
when people give you a casual hug, linger with your arms around them.
Cut in front of people waiting in line.
When speaking with someone, use unnecessarily long pauses between responses.
Cut in front of people waiting in line.
When speaking with someone, use unnecessarily long pauses between responses.
Close the gap between you and the person before you at the ATM.
When there are plenty of empty seats on the bus, sit directly next to a stranger.
These are just some of the many unspoken rules in our society that people may not consciously be aware of, but almost everyone follows. Many people aren't even aware that these rules exist until someone breaks them.
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| Socially Awkward Penguin |
Our class assignment today was to get into small groups and wander around campus breaking these behavioral codes. For my experience, I went with my group to the school bookstore. I spotted a guy looking at the school planners. I decided with my group to break the unspoken rule about standing too close to strangers. I awkwardly made my way to where the guy was standing and I grabbed one of the planners so I could pretend to read it. He took a step backward and I took a step toward him. He took another step backward and I took another step toward him. All this was done without either of us looking up from the planners we were reading and with my group standing 10 feet away trying not to laugh at us. Finally, the guy threw the planner back onto the shelf and almost ran away to hide behind the textbook display. I felt kind of bad for freaking him out, but it was pretty funny at the same time. Thanks to this class, I'll definitely be more aware of these 'unspoken behavioral codes.' Maybe you should try breaking a few of these codes and see what people's reactions are. It's pretty fun.
Check out this Awkward music video by CollegeHumor.