Try this: revel in moments that are awkward for everyone. Crave them. Love them. Seek them out, and bask in them when they arrive.
Becoming generally comfortable with others’ palpable discomfort is something I’ve worked on recently, and I’ve found it useful. There are still a few situations that make me feel uncomfortable, but they’re becoming fewer and rarer.
Suggested venues for finding universally awkward situations: introductions, elevators, first dates, locker rooms, job interviews, crowded transit, sales pitches.
Might not help you to understand social awkwardness or “the rules thereof”, but this took away the power of awkward moments to make me feel shitty. Rejection therapy sounds like a similar idea, and I’d guess the benefits would be comparable.
Yes, I would highly recommend doing rejection therapy. We did it at rationality mini-camp and from what I’ve heard, everyone had a fun time AND they became more open and socially adept. You just realize how much you can do/get just by asking, how people react to you (they don’t really care), etc...
Best way to try it is to go downtown or campus (if you live in a big city) or drive up some place where you don’t know anyone and just walk around asking people for things (money, items, high-fives, going to lunch, anything at all). The goal is to get they to say YES, but you do it to get rejected. Get some friends to come with you (but do the exercise individually, being in a group dilutes the feeling of rejection). Do this continuously and I think you’ll be very happy with the results.
Try this: revel in moments that are awkward for everyone. Crave them. Love them. Seek them out, and bask in them when they arrive.
Becoming generally comfortable with others’ palpable discomfort is something I’ve worked on recently, and I’ve found it useful. There are still a few situations that make me feel uncomfortable, but they’re becoming fewer and rarer.
Suggested venues for finding universally awkward situations: introductions, elevators, first dates, locker rooms, job interviews, crowded transit, sales pitches.
Might not help you to understand social awkwardness or “the rules thereof”, but this took away the power of awkward moments to make me feel shitty. Rejection therapy sounds like a similar idea, and I’d guess the benefits would be comparable.
Yes, I would highly recommend doing rejection therapy. We did it at rationality mini-camp and from what I’ve heard, everyone had a fun time AND they became more open and socially adept. You just realize how much you can do/get just by asking, how people react to you (they don’t really care), etc...
Best way to try it is to go downtown or campus (if you live in a big city) or drive up some place where you don’t know anyone and just walk around asking people for things (money, items, high-fives, going to lunch, anything at all). The goal is to get they to say YES, but you do it to get rejected. Get some friends to come with you (but do the exercise individually, being in a group dilutes the feeling of rejection). Do this continuously and I think you’ll be very happy with the results.