This week on The Upgrade, we’re joined by Ty Tashiro, relationship expert and author of Awkward: The Science of Why We’re Socially Awkward and Why That’s Awesome, to discuss why the same qualities that can lead to social anxiety or awkward moments can actually work in our favour.
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This week we discussed:
- New Yorkers share their worst-ever awkward moments, from mishaps at the funeral parlour to regrettable post-coital comments
- The difference between an awkward moment and an awkward person
- Why we shouldn’t use “on the Autism spectrum” as a catch-all term for awkwardness
- The evolutionary argument for awkwardness
- Why awkwardness is often correlated with excellence
- Techniques for parents to teach children improved social skills
- How the digital age has made us all more awkward, and what to do about it
- One reporter’s story of conquering her fear of phone calls
Our Upgrades of the Week
Every week we like to let you in on the upgrades we’ve made in our own lives. This week we talked small swaps to make around the house, soundproofing against noisy upstairs neighbours, and an app to track the hours we spend on our phones.
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