Cringeworthy: A Theory of Awkwardness Cover
Podcast Mentions

Cringeworthy A Theory of Awkwardness

Melissa Dahl

New York Have you ever said goodbye to someone, only to discover that you're both walking in the same direction? Or had your next thought fly out of your brain in the middle of a presentation? Or accidentally liked an old photo on someone's Instagram or Facebook, thus revealing yourself to be a cre...

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Today, Explained

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Today, Explained

The podcast dedicated a segment to exploring the philosophical nature of awkwardness, featuring a conversation introduced by Sean Elling. The discussion centered on the book's core theory that awkwardness is not an inherent personal flaw, but rather a situational phenomenon—an "us problem" that arises between people. The segment aimed to reframe how listeners understand and approach uncomfortable social interactions.

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A philosopher wrote a book about awkwardness, suggesting that people are not inherently awkward, but rather that situations create awkwardness, making it an issue between people rather than an individual problem.

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Philosopher Alexandra Plakias wants you to know you're not awkward. I don't think people are awkward. I think situations are awkward. So in that sense, awkwardness is not a personal problem. It's an us problem.

Join me for a conversation with someone who literally wrote the book on awkwardness.

The Jordan Harbinger Show

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It was discussed in detail, and was highlighted for its personal anecdotes about the author's embarrassing experiences, instead of a professional reader.

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I loved the book and you know it is great, you did a great job recording it a lot of times when authors record their own book they get all offended when the publisher is like yeah we are going to hire...

— Episode: 24: Melissa Dahl | The Not-So-Cringewort...

Episode: 24: Melissa Dahl | The Not-So-Cringeworthy Truth a...

It was discussed in detail, and was highlighted for its personal anecdotes about the author's embarrassing experiences, instead of a professional reader.

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I loved the book and you know it is great, you did a great job recording it a lot of times when authors record their own book they get all offended when the publisher is like yeah we are going to hire a professional right?

But you did a really good job because I think a large part or at least a part of this book that is magical seems like an overstatement but I am going to let it throw it out there because it is a good book.

Yeah, I am so glad. I know it was so glad to get the opportunity to record it so there wouldn't be just some other person stepping on my jokes and not landing the punchlines.

the book is subtitled a theory of awkwardness but it kind of should be like any theory of awkwardness this is one of them yeah I think that awkwardness also kind of comes from when the self you're trying to present in a certain situation is shown to be incompatible with reality in some way so you know I'm not sure if you can do that.

It's a great read really enjoyed this one and if you enjoyed this don't forget to thank Melissa on Twitter

Episode: 24: Melissa Dahl | The Not-So-Cringeworthy Truth a...

It was described as a good book, with a lot of embarrassing stories from the author's life that made it unique. The recording of the audiobook was also praised for being well-done.

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I loved the book and you know it is great, you did a great job recording it a lot of times when authors record their own book they get all offended when the publisher is like yeah we are going to hire a professional right?

But you did a really good job because I think a large part or at least a part of this book that is magical seems like an overstatement but I am going to let it throw it out there because it is a good book.

And that makes it a really special kind of piece.

Yeah, I am so glad. I know it was so glad to get the opportunity to record it so there wouldn't be just some other person stepping on my jokes and not landing the punchlines.

The book title is cringe worthy a theory of awkwardness It's a great read really enjoyed this one and if you enjoyed this don't forget to thank Melissa on Twitter

Note: The book recommendations on this page are discovered automatically from podcast transcripts, and may be incorrect or incomplete.