Science says awkward people are more likely to win at life

Being socially awkward is a day job in itself. One that, rather than a pay cheque at the end of each month, compensates us in a daily dose of unease and humiliation, as well as blow-by-blow replays of said unease and humiliation whenever we close our eyes. Honestly, whether it's withering in embarrassment over some nondescript incident that went down in Summer 2007, or saying "you too" when the waiter tells you to enjoy your meal, many of us regularly tip ourselves over the edge into a black hole of socially awkward despair. But traipsing around with a scarlet "A" embroidered on your front might not be as bad as you originally thought. In fact, a 2017 study seems to think that being elegant and refined in the art of shaming yourself could ultimately lead to winning at life. And when I say winning, I don't mean triumphantly avoiding every social interaction that comes your way. Lead researcher Simon Baron-Cohen and his colleagues at Oxford University discovered that, rather than hindering individuals, being socially awkward actually makes them more likely to succeed in life, due to the link between awkward nature and special talent. Simply put, people who are unskilled in everyday situations have a tendency to have an obsessive interest in another field. They will typically focus passionately on this specific area and persistently work to master it, sometimes even making outstanding achievements. Psychologist Ty Tashiro, author of Awkward: The Science of Why We're Socially awkward and Why That's Awesome, backed the Oxford University findings, claiming that socially inept people are more likely to demonstrate "striking talent". "It's not the case that people are usually smart across the board, it's usually the case that people are really smart in one or two areas and then they might be average or even below average in other areas," he explains. "One of the splits that you see is that if someone's really smart in a certain area, they're less likely to be socially skilled or be a good communicator but they also have this obsessive interest. They have this tendency to focus really intensely and really narrowly sometimes on a specific topic." Tashiro continued to reveal that with poor social prowess came great dedication and attention to detail... as well as a splash of inflexibility. He stated: "Now, that can work against them sometimes. Sometimes they're overly rigid or sometimes they don't like it when their routines are broken. But that can be a real strength as well because someone with great focus and great energy is more likely to persist through hard times, more likely to persist when task could get boring to other people. And this manifests in what psychologists call "deliberate practice," which is the idea that you practice the same thing over and over until you reach a point of mastery and key to deliberate practice is the idea that you are willing to work the hardest on the parts that you are the worst at. And awkward people seem to enjoy the kind of persistence and long hours that go on to mastering a certain area or certain topic." The study is in keeping with an investigation by Time which revealed that the most accurate indicator of talent in children was not their I.Q., but rather the ability of intense focus. In addition, it makes a lot of sense in the adult world due to the fact that numerous celebrities, intellects and politicians are regularly labelled as thoroughly awkward human beings by the media. So, what can we say? That's us. First name, Awkward, second name, Genius. But unfortunately for social pariahs out there, not all of us can be budding Einsteins. Researchers stated that enthusiasm and focus can only "sometimes" result in "expertise" and "groundbreaking innovation". Well, hey, if there is even a potential benefit to entering a room full of people and it feeling like your very own version of the Hunger Games, grab onto it tightly with both hands, all of you mini Shelton Coopers struggling to stay afloat out there. But, seriously, the news does genuinely just get better and better for us incessantly uncomfortable individuals. When a study, conducted at the University of California Berkeley, recorded videos of people telling one of their most embarrassing stories, they found that flustered behaviour came across better than overconfidence, which usually translated into cockiness. Turns out, onlookers picked up on awkward individuals' trustworthy and cooperative nature and were more likely to find this attractive. Who knows? Rather than hinder you, your red face could get you that date you've been waiting for. So, there you have it. The truth is, despite the fact that their social lives often resemble slow-motion car crashes, in reality, awkward people have a lot to be happy about. OK, maybe you still feel like what Kristen Stewart looks like on the red carpet but, rest assured, you're absolutely crushing it on a daily basis. And just think, when you're winning at life, chilling in your $20 million mansion and surrounded by countless accolades, you'll be truly grateful for all of those times you publicly humiliated yourself. Maybe.