Many people experience social awkwardness from time to time, but for some, it happens much more often.

They accidentally say the wrong thing, miss social cues, or are simply overly shy at parties, in meetings, or around people in general. It can make you wonder how social awkwardness still exists as a trait in humans, given that we’ve evolved into such a highly social species, starting with small tribes built for survival and eventually growing into the thriving societies we have today.

Well, one psychologist has a theory about how socially awkward people not only survived evolution but actually thrived.

“There’s this curious and strong correlation between social awkwardness and what researchers call ‘extraordinary achievement’ or ‘striking talent,’” said psychologist Ty Tashiro on the A Bit of Optimism podcast. “People who achieve amazing things in this world, things that are kind of the tail end of the bell curve, they’re actually more likely to be more awkward.”

@simonsinek What if being socially awkward is actually a superpower? Ty Tashiro, an incredible psychologist and author, joined me on A Bit of Optimism this week for a deep dive on why awkward is awesome. It’s an episode filled with laughs, ‘aha’ moments, and maybe a bit of self-recognition. 🤓 Check it out wherever you listen to podcasts and find out why your next awkward moment could be the start of something amazing. ♬ original sound – Simon Sinek

What if being socially awkward is actually a superpower? Ty Tashiro, an incredible psychologist and author, joined me on A Bit of Optimism this week for a deep dive on........

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