Are you socially awkward by choice?

[Vault101]

Im less socially awkward that I used to be, but no it was never by choice, I like people just fine

I can interact with most people pretty well, (somtimes though I obsess over the fact that I feel like I come across as a retard then feel guilty about it...well thats more of a work thing)

however I know I'd much rather spend a saturday night with a soft drink and the PS3 rather than go out clubbing...somtimes the social thing..I just dont enjoy it

 

[Casual Shinji]

I've recently discovered that I want people to be interested in me, but that I forget to be equally interested in them.

Not by choice, it just doesn't seem to occur to me that they might care what I have to say about them.

I have a strong urge to want to meet new people and socialize, but when I do I'll get kind of exhausted by their presence after about 3 or 4 hours. With my family I'm totally okay, but with casual acquaintances I just can't seem to relax or feel at ease.

 

[Esotera]

I hate most people, so can't really be bothered to socialise with them properly; they find this awkward. I'm perfectly fine around people who are my friends though, so don't really see the issue.

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

I hate most people, but that doesn't make me socially awkward. I have no trouble talking to anybody; I simply choose not to talk to people. I think people like to self-label far too often and that's why this site is rampant with, well, everything.

That's pretty much the best post I've seen today. Good job.

 

[luclin92]

well i stopped being socially awkward when i got to high school. so now i might be one of the more open people at the school i go to.

 

[CrazyGirl17]

Hard to say. I'm a bit socially awkward for other reasons, though...

 

[TheAceTheOne]

OP, I'm socially awkward at times... But it's more because I talk a lot. And it's definitely not by choice, brother.

 

[Xixikal]

No way...
I actually only just found out that I was socially awkward... which was awkward in itself

 

[staika]

I am only socially awkward when talking to people I haven't met before or don't know that well. When I'm with my friends I am very talkative and quite loud.

When I was younger my family moved a lot so I was very socially inept but for some reason the quieter I was the more people liked me. I'll elaborate, Every class I took I was the one kid that really didn't talk at all and everyone just ignored me but after about 2 weeks everyone wants to know everything about me and then I become one of the more popular kids in the class. I honestly have no Idea why this kept happening but it happened in just about every class I took in High School.

 

[MasterOfWorlds]

I think a lot of it is by choice because people are afraid they'll screw up their social interactions. I'm not a big fan of most people, because most people seem to either be sheep or dumb as posts. I CAN talk to just about anyone, but that doesn't mean that I'll enjoy it.

In fact, I talk to most people in my classes (I'm in college) and some people at places I go to regularly. Some of them I enjoy talking to. Some of them I don't. I'm not good with large crowds of people, but only because they tend to be noisy and I can't talk to people in depth like I usually like to.

 

[Keepitclean]

I'm not socially awkward, just shy. Especially around girls. I never was when I was younger so I don't know what changed.

It's probably caused by my less than smooth transition to my new school when I moved to the city.

 

[Vivi22]

I can be socially awkward, but largely because I find many social conventions to be pointless and stupid, and don't consider normally taboo discussion topics to be off limits. I suppose you could say I have boundary issues.

 

[Drummie666]

I always feel uncomfortable around people. I've tried to figure out why, but I can't come up with anything I'm really scared of. It's not like I'm scared of them judging me or something, for fucks sake my facebook and twitter have MLP avatars. I just don't like being around other people, so I only talk to people unless there's a pressing need to or they talk to me first.

I also hate when people notice that I don't talk to people, come over to me and talk to me about how I should be more social.
I've already tried that, but when I'm around other people, all I want to do it go back to my house and be alone.

 

[TriGGeR_HaPPy]

Well... I'm not really socially awkward, to be honest.
I join in on the drinking nights/events here at uni, I get along well with people who I've only recently met, I've got a large group of friends (some of whom I've known for many years).
...
I probably don't even belong in this thread in the first place. ;>_>
*jumps out of thread*

EDIT: Damn Ninjas.

Well since I am not socially awkward at all I probably dont belong in this thread.

<_<;

 

[hypovolemia]

Being introverted is not really a choice. There is even a plausible physiological explanation for the difference between introverts and extroverts. Our brains have a certain baseline of arousal (or activity), which is higher for introverts. If your level of arousal is too low you get bored. If it's to high you feel tense and overwhelmed. So the amount of stimulation that an extrovert needs to reach the most pleasant level of arousal would be stressful for an introvert. This results in things like different preferred volume of music or even the effect of certain drugs (e.g. stimulants make extroverts calmer).

As for me, I'm a socially awkward introvert. Most interactions with people are unpleasant, stressful and/or boring to me, thus I avoid them. So, in a way, I'm socially awkward by choice, because I don't get to practice these interactions very often.

Edit:

Can you choose to be annoyed? I'm assuming you can choose how you respond to being annoyed by things, but somehow I don't think the annoyance itself is a choice.

Well, you can turn positive/negative thoughts into a habit (see: cognitive psychotherapy), so yes, kind of.

 

[similar.squirrel]

I have trouble raising my voice, and people tend to get very loud in large gatherings. I think that's the only problem, now that the inferiority-complex has been more-or-less conquered.

 

[Da Orky Man]

I'm introverted as all hell, but I'm not too awkward in social situations. I only appear awkaward when I want the other person to leave. If I'm around people I like, I'm fine.

But usually, I'm fine spending a few days with my only direct contact with othe people being the internet.

 

[Zack Alklazaris]

I am socially awkward because of a bit of both. I will tell what I later would find out would be an inappropriate joke or I will offend someone by "ribbing" on them the wrong way. I don't intend to hurt anyone I just have that gamer warp sense of humor. (Pedobear anyone?)
But then there are times when society frowns upon certain personalities. Look, you can wear your Cowbows helmet and paint your chest blue n white all you want. I understand you, they win you win, whatever. But I'm gunna stick with my gamer shirts and scream like Kirk did with Khan whenever a new game comes out. Truth is we all idolize something. They just happen to idolize something more socially popular.

My point is that while many of us are socially awkward I'm sure. Its not always our fault, even if it is by our choice.

 

[mcdain]

I wouldn't say I'm socially awkward. I like to think I do rather well in social situations.

I just choose not to be in said situations.

 

[SilentCom]

I'm an introvert, have bad social skills, and generally not noticed by people. I don't think I have that much choice in my social awkwardness, so I instead post on these forums...