The title says it all. I’ve recently come to the conclusion that if you don’t make a situation that could be awkward awkward, it won’t be.
Take the nice example of walking in on someone who’s naked. Smile politely, wave if you wish, and keep walking. Make no undue eye contact, and if you really want to decrease the awkward, have a 5 second conversation. Maybe they did well on something recently, whatever. Has to be something neutral and positive. You walk away going “I handled that pretty well” and they go away going “Huh, that was a hell of a lot awkward than I expected it to be.”
So, seriously. Next time you have an “awkward” moment, Don’t be a douche and make it awkward. If you don’t, they won’t feel (as) awkward and thus will not further the awkward. Do it enough, and everything will cease to be awkward.
I follow this ideal, and I’m like the man from the Dos Equis commercial – I have awkward moments just to reminisce about how they feel.
