What causes someone to be socially awkward?

[AnthonyJ34]

Originally Posted by GKelly

I'll say I'm pretty awkward in general, even around the people closest to me. I hesitate and second guess myself a lot. I think being uncomfortable also describes it.

I resent the people who just throw socially awkward people into the self-centered and self-absorbed pile. Tons of social people are very into themselves and can't stop talking about themselves. They just don't care or notice that they are this way.

Many socially awkward people are probably overly concerned with how they are being perceived by others. It's not that the socially awkward are conceited or self-absorbed in a narcissistic way, but more so in a 'fear of being judged inadequately' sort of way. Making generalizations here, of course, but I think this probably applies to a fair amount of people, enough so as to make it accurate to make a generalization. It's easy for a socially awkward person to assume that the more extroverted people in a situation are somehow in charge or are the 'group leaders' if you will, so the socially awkward person may shrink and recede from social interaction for fear of being judged weird or inadequate in comparison to these group emcees.

I often times get annoyed being around highly extroverted people because, in my limited experience, these ultra-gregarious people place a lot of stress on more introverted or shy, or calm people by expecting these introverts/shy to be as engaging and connected as they are. I am naturally introverted, but I do have some extroverted qualities, so I can become animated and engaging without much effort in certain situations. But many times I have nothing to say, or have no desire to talk or engage, and yet many extroverts seem to pick and prod and cajole me into being just like them…And I find it tiring and irritating. I can become animated and extroverted, but my batteries run low after a while.