Questions tagged [awkward-situations]

For questions about situations which are awkward for anyone concerned. This tag should be used when awkwardness is the key part of the problem.

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29 votes
6 answers
30k views

How to stop a friend from being "touchy-feely" towards me?

Background I have a friend who I met in college (we're both 19 year old males) and we attended the same classes together. Throughout the semesters he was a little "touchy-feely" (e.g. putting his arm ...
enlighten_me's user avatar
  • 1,484
4 votes
5 answers
1k views

How to deal with intimidating people?

[m/17] My parents recently got me a personal tutor for my exams who is maybe in his late 20s. I had the first class recently, which was three hours long. Within the first 30 minutes or so he asked me ...
Rumble down's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
270 views

How to ask somone to remove a picture from social media that you look bad in [closed]

I had gone out with a few friends and one took some pictures of us. I know he took several, but for some reason he put a really bad one of me with 2 other friends on Facebook. (bad in the sense I wasn'...
UltraBobcat's user avatar
52 votes
5 answers
19k views

How to deal with disruptive people in the cinema

In my last two cinema trips I have had disruptive people in the cinema. One was a group of 4-5 early 20s men, one of whom in particular was talking very loudly. I stared at him until he looked back ...
WhatEvil's user avatar
  • 1,374
59 votes
6 answers
20k views

How do I tell a woman that her pants have a menstruation stain?

I was working in my work space today and a female coworker came to give me some information that I needed, then left. I'm male. Suddenly, when she was on her way back to her work space, I saw a ...
Hoose's user avatar
  • 724
8 votes
2 answers
2k views

How do I approach maintaining a friendship with someone I used to date, who now has a significant other?

Background: I'm a single 20-something man living in a major city who is actively dating. I met a woman about 5-6 months ago on a dating website, let's call her Alice. Alice and I hit things off ...
user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
355 views

How can I improve my teacher-student relationship with a professor that ignores me? [closed]

I am a university student, in my current group there are only 5 students (2 women and 3 men). One of my teachers has been ignoring me since the course started (approximately 2 weeks ago), that is, he ...
user avatar
15 votes
7 answers
3k views

Friend wants rare vinyl record collection back after 7 years

About seven (7) years ago an older friend of mine, Craig, was having living and financial problems. I think he was getting some type of public assistance after he had to move out of his old family ...
Solomon's user avatar
  • 159
12 votes
2 answers
2k views

How do I follow through after setting a boundary for a friend who throws loud parties at my place?

I have a family friend I have known for years who now lives in a different city, but when he comes home to see his parents, etc, he likes to stay at my place. I'm totally fine with this, but recently ...
Billy Doe's user avatar
  • 121
8 votes
2 answers
2k views

How to avoid sitting with friends during an exam

I have an important exam coming up and a few friends in my class want me to sit with them. Normally I would, but I'm worried about this group distracting me while I'm writing the exam. I won't discuss ...
user avatar
15 votes
5 answers
1k views

How to minimize embarrassment when I ask a question but they nod and smile?

The Background I work with a LOT of non-native English speakers. As such, miscommunications are a daily occurrence. I've noticed that sometimes when they don't understand something, they'll just nod ...
scohe001's user avatar
  • 15.3k
5 votes
1 answer
3k views

How to approach talking to a group of girls as a guy without being awkward?

I'm trying to mingle with girls in my high school and I've never really done anything like it before (sounds funny but it's true). Anyway, there's a group of girls that I want to talk to but I'm not ...
user191799's user avatar
-6 votes
3 answers
1k views

How can I transition a conversation about Taylor ham, with a girl, into other topics [closed]

Background: I recently met a girl in Manhattan, near where I live. As I got to know her - we both happened to be getting late night food at the same place - she taught me about something called "...
D.Hutchinson's user avatar
4 votes
8 answers
1k views

Is it possible to talk politics while knowing little about politics?

So I want to have conversations with some people at my school who are pretty political - they're in debate club and taking all these social sciences in school so they have a lot to talk about. Me, ...
user191799's user avatar
86 votes
8 answers
45k views

How can I avoid the awkwardness of a returning player who wears a low-cut shirt?

Sometimes I run RPG events for strangers, advertising on meetup.com to get people. At these events, I spend around three hours asking the players what the characters are doing and narrating the ...
erbert's user avatar
  • 879
11 votes
4 answers
4k views

How to tell a coworker to dress more appropriately for the office

One of my co-workers transitioned a year ago and she's really happy to be a woman, to finally being herself. However, she's putting too short skirt and short... I know that she's going through a ...
MaryM's user avatar
  • 121
13 votes
1 answer
1k views

How to make amends for an (unexpected) embarrassing situation?

Background: This situation is a little bit sensitive. Few days ago I was in restroom at my company, and just went about my business. Then one guy came in to the next urinal (restroom is kind of small,...
Ragnarsson's user avatar
52 votes
4 answers
19k views

How to tell a trans couple that their overly romantic behaviour makes you uncomfortable, without coming across transphobic?

Intro: We all have seen a couple who are so in love they have lengthy kisses in public, always display affection, call each other cute names and wherever they go or sit, they always appear to cuddle. ...
Mythical_Ewe's user avatar
  • 1,511
5 votes
4 answers
1k views

How to win a game without hurting someone

A few months ago, I joined a chess academy which divides its members into groups of ten for the sake of coaching them efficiently. Mine had eight men and two women with ages ranging from twenty to ...
user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
668 views

Talking to best friend after a little fight

So, my best friend and I haven't been in touch for the past few months; and I realised something was wrong only when she stopped talking - leaving me out of her life. Now that we've reconciled, and ...
stoic-santiago's user avatar
9 votes
3 answers
2k views

How to stop people talking to you while using the bathroom

It seems that there are a certain group of people who would like to chat with you, whilst you are using the bathroom. It can feel quite invasive and just down right awkward. Responses, in general, ...
Mou某's user avatar
  • 713
-1 votes
3 answers
1k views

Help required for approaching a crush after awkward scenario [closed]

I'm 25 and have a huge crush on this girl who is 29. We were working in the same office and were casual friends. I guess she also likes me as I noticed her staring me several times. Also, she was the ...
Dev Choudhary's user avatar
36 votes
6 answers
13k views

How to refuse politely to play with someone as a streamer

I'm a new (game) streamer, I don't have a massive audience, and I find myself in quite a challenge. Often when I play, some viewers will ask if they can play with me (or us if I'm already playing ...
Gil Sand's user avatar
  • 461
0 votes
3 answers
958 views

How can I scold my juniors without annoying them?

I'm a senior at my school. A socially-awkward prefect, actually. Because of my shyness, I often ignore my juniors' misbehaviours, leading them to be spoilt. Also, they don't really care about what we ...
Afiq A.'s user avatar
  • 11
8 votes
4 answers
2k views

How to politely tell landlord "you don't have to remind me for rent"

I have been living in this house for the last four months and always paid my rent on the first day of the month. My landlord is an old lady living in the same house with me. We have a very good ...
sbiswas's user avatar
  • 81
24 votes
4 answers
6k views

How can I convey to someone that the way she communicates is awkward without upsetting her?

Context During family conversations my sister, who is 27, often interrupts the flow of a conversation with in order to mention something that is marginally related to the topic at hand. Most of the ...
Arthas's user avatar
  • 2,632
19 votes
7 answers
11k views

How can I respond to well-meaning comments at the gym?

I go to the gym twice a week. I like the people there, I love what I do, my trainer is great. The only issue I have, is that, well, I'm fat. I'm tall and fat, and people constantly assume that no ...
user avatar
8 votes
8 answers
5k views

How to get out of being a free taxi for your Mam?

I'm 18 years old, have recently bought a semi expensive car for someone my age, and my Mam expects lifts everywhere if I'm not busy. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind giving lifts, especially to my Mam,...
Twyxz's user avatar
  • 564
19 votes
5 answers
8k views

How to decline a polite but insincere request

I recently got a new job, and I don't talk with people besides what is needed for work, because I'm in a time of my life where I don't want to interact with strangers if I don't have to. My ...
Boat's user avatar
  • 949
91 votes
9 answers
34k views

As a woman, how to avoid angry stares from other people's wives or girlfriends [closed]

I am a moderately good looking woman. With basic makeup and hair styling, I can make myself look pretty. This is my preferred look when I go out. I often get a lot of stares, sometimes admiring and ...
Replica's user avatar
  • 777
141 votes
24 answers
36k views

How do I answer the question "why are you vegan?" honestly, without making them resent me?

I am a vegan, only for ethical reasons. It is something I'm very willing to discuss. I have deliberated about it very carefully, for a long time, and have read papers and text books on the philosophy ...
Bridgeburners's user avatar
69 votes
9 answers
16k views

How to politely deflect questions about awkward scars?

Content warning: Self-harm Due to some issues I had a few years ago with self harming (related to mental health issues which I no longer have - hurrah!), I'm left with a lot of awkward scars on my ...
Matt's user avatar
  • 729
0 votes
1 answer
290 views

Saying not interested to business offers in a group setting [closed]

I go to dance classes run by one group and we have a common facebook chat to suggest bars to go to that play suitable music. We've talked about how we need to support venues by inviting non-dance ...
drawde83's user avatar
24 votes
9 answers
19k views

How to tactfully acknowledge a woman on Women's Day?

Today is International Women's Day and I would like to tell the women who are around me and affect me "Happy Women's Day" as a gesture of appreciation of what they doing, they can be from my family or ...
Ankit Sharma's user avatar
  • 2,274
7 votes
4 answers
845 views

How to better share personal details with my mum?

I would like to share more of my life with my mum. I feel it would benefit me personally to open up and listen to her advice and comments, and also benefit our relationship. The problem is that I ...
Jesse's user avatar
  • 7,123
4 votes
3 answers
850 views

Awkwardly passing someone on a long empty road?

I live on a long rural road where there are barely any people. I have to take my dog out for walks, or sometimes I just go for walks alone, and usually the street is a pretty desolate place. However, ...
Elijah Seed Arita's user avatar
117 votes
18 answers
54k views

How to talk to a girl who's sitting next to me but wearing headphones?

Over the past couple of weeks, there's been this really cute girl who sits near me inside a coffee shop, which has a cozy, "productive" vibe to it -- everyone's doing work on their laptops. I want to ...
D.Hutchinson's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
790 views

How to deny food in the pool as a lifeguard

For the summer when I was 16 I decided to work as a lifeguard since the pool was located close to my house and it was very convenient. I eventually got used to denying certain items such as tubes and ...
TheAutomaton's user avatar
16 votes
3 answers
11k views

How can I gracefully decline a ride from a friend?

Background I sometimes get together with some friends I have in common with a relative and in those events, this specific friend which I will name Bob. Situation When we want to go somewhere, Bob ...
OneEyedBandit's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
406 views

Balance between caring and clinginess [closed]

Context: I was afraid of allowing people in my life. Actually, I was not even looking for friendships and was pretty happy without any (So many things to do, so little time). I met someone about two ...
user avatar
14 votes
3 answers
3k views

How can one stop dubious advances of a married former partner without hurting them a lot?

I am sorry if this is a duplicate, the closest situation I could find here is this one. This is a bit long but given that I am not entirely sure if there was any advance to be concerned about in the ...
Hannibal's user avatar
  • 143
0 votes
2 answers
2k views

How would one explain to a friend that even if they're accepted to a University, it's probably not a good idea to attend? [closed]

It's difficult to put into words without sounding mean or judgemental, but I honestly have no idea how else to put this. Just note that I only have the best intentions for everyone and wish for the ...
npengra317's user avatar
12 votes
3 answers
4k views

Asking an ex-girlfriend out to coffee, now that she's married and has a child

One of my closest girl friends that I dated for a while - and then remained close friends with even after we decided to just be friends - got married over the past two years and also just had a baby. ...
D.Hutchinson's user avatar
22 votes
6 answers
12k views

How do I or my husband tell my mother in law she smells?

She is fully able bodied and not short of money. She has a hoarding problem, and her house just smells musty. She needs to do more washing basically. The other day, she babysat for us. When we ...
WendyG's user avatar
  • 3,033
45 votes
9 answers
24k views

How to significantly reduce my hairstylist's tip, without upsetting her?

My haircuts - here in Manhattan - are expensive; if you care to have a hairstyle at all, and not just a quick shave with clippers at the barber shop, then the minimum cost is about $55 dollars, which ...
D.Hutchinson's user avatar
107 votes
17 answers
26k views

How to let tech support subtly know that I am proficient without showing off?

I manage a couple of small websites for friends and family as their admin, ranging from installing wordpress to full-stack web development. In this position I often have to contact the support of ...
Wolter's user avatar
  • 962
51 votes
11 answers
22k views

"Stole" my friend's excitement about a personal project - how to deal with the fallout

Background: I work at a woodworking shop, doing design etc. and both myself and a colleague sometimes do personal projects using the tools, machinery etc. here in our own time. These projects are ...
WhatEvil's user avatar
  • 1,374
27 votes
5 answers
73k views

How to contact a girl whose number I got from somebody else?

Situation Some days ago I went to a concert of the band of a good friend, let's call him Alex. He and his bandmates, invited a lot of friends to support them. I know Alex pretty well since we've been ...
Fimbulvetr's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
2k views

How to ask future roommate to leave room?

Next year I will be living with 3 other people in a 2-person paired dormitory on our university campus. Two I have known since high school, but the third is my current roommate, lets call him Ralph, ...
user109474's user avatar
83 votes
10 answers
30k views

How do I gently reject an indecent proposal?

Background People: Bob, John and Alice are old acquaintances of mine. They are a little older than me, mid-to-late twenties. We are not close friends, but we get along together well and see each other ...
Anne Daunted GoFundMonica's user avatar

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