Awkwardness

In 'Awkwardness: A Theory', Alexandra Plakias discusses how awkwardness arises from situations rather than being a trait of individuals.

The book explores how our aversion to awkwardness reflects our desire for social inclusion and how this aversion can inhibit critique and conversation, acting as an impediment to moral and social progress.

Plakias argues that awkwardness can also highlight opportunities for moral and social improvement by revealing areas where social norms and scripts fail to meet our needs or have yet to adapt to changing social and moral realities.