--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Awkwardness is when there's a risk of a…" description: "\"Awkwardness is when there's a risk of a perception gap between what you mean and what you appear to mean.\" — Carolyn Hax" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb7/carolyn-hax-9229_awkwardness_awkwardness-is-when-there-s-a-risk-of-a_2593399.png" --- # Awkwardness is when there's a risk of a perception gap… ![“Awkwardness is when there's a risk of a perception gap between what you mean and what you appear to mean.” quote by Carolyn Hax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb7/carolyn-hax-9229_awkwardness_awkwardness-is-when-there-s-a-risk-of-a_2593399.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb7/carolyn-hax-9229_awkwardness_awkwardness-is-when-there-s-a-risk-of-a_2593399.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb7/carolyn-hax-9229_awkwardness_awkwardness-is-when-there-s-a-risk-of-a_2593399.png) > “Awkwardness is when there's a risk of a perception gap between what you mean and what you appear to mean.” [Carolyn Hax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-hax/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Awkwardness arises when your intended message doesn't match how others perceive it. **In simple terms:** Miscommunication causes awkwardness. Key Takeaway Clarify intent and check understanding. Themes communication perception social anxiety Mood empathetic thoughtful Type advice psychological When to use this quote - dating - work meetings - family gatherings - online chats Key Concepts interpersonal dynamics misinterpretation emotional intelligence Questions to Reflect On - How can you ensure your message is received as intended? - What cues signal a perception gap? A Different Perspective People may misinterpret despite clear intent; context matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Awkwardness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awkwardness/) [Perception](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perception/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) ## Related quotes > [Doubts are suppressed by groups... But remember that the internal incentives that shape how the group perceives risks and rewards may be very different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/doubts-are-suppressed-by-groups-but-remember-that-the-internal/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [Basically, women have to prove they are strong at all times. And then when they go on the attack, they have to not appear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-nixon-eisenhower/basically-women-have-to-prove-they-are-strong-at-all-times-and-then/) [Julie Nixon Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-nixon-eisenhower/) > [We may appear to be mean but we're really only frightened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/we-may-appear-to-be-mean-but-we-re-really-only-frightened/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [A lot of support gets withheld out of fear of awkwardness and misspeaking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-hax/a-lot-of-support-gets-withheld-out-of-fear-of-awkwardness-and/) [Carolyn Hax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-hax/) > [My position in life has always been to be that person in the room who can make the conversation and break down any awkwardness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-narstie/my-position-in-life-has-always-been-to-be-that-person-in-the-room-who/) [Big Narstie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-narstie/) > [They meet in the girls' bathroom. The last time they were forced to meet in a place like this, they took separate, isolated stalls.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-shusterman/they-meet-in-the-girls-bathroom-the-last-time-they-were-forced-to/) [Neal Shusterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-shusterman/) > [I can't flirt, so I'll just seduce you with my awkwardness: xDDD](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel/i-can-t-flirt-so-i-ll-just-seduce-you-with-my-awkwardness-xddd/) [Rachel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel/) > [God may forgive sins, he said, but awkwardness has no forgiveness in heaven or earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/god-may-forgive-sins-he-said-but-awkwardness-has-no-forgiveness-in/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I never wish to offend, but I am so foolishly shy, that I often seem negligent, when I am only kept back by my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/i-never-wish-to-offend-but-i-am-so-foolishly-shy-that-i-often-seem/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [I work from awkwardness. By that I mean I don't like to arrange things. If I stand in front of something, instead of arranging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-arbus/i-work-from-awkwardness-by-that-i-mean-i-don-t-like-to-arrange-things/) [Diane Arbus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-arbus/) > [“What can one do with one's hands when the camera is interested in other things?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/what-can-one-do-with-one-s-hands-when-the-camera-is-interested-in/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) > [“Awkwardness, thy name is vampire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-neill/awkwardness-thy-name-is-vampire/) [Chloe Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-neill/) > [To combat social awkwardness, I would just act like I couldn't be bothered - that kind of aloof persona or aloof demeanor. It's so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/to-combat-social-awkwardness-i-would-just-act-like-i-couldn-t-be/) [Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) > [It's awkward doing it with anybody, but it's like Twister.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pattinson/it-s-awkward-doing-it-with-anybody-but-it-s-like-twister/) [Robert Pattinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pattinson/) > [Well, my intention is to make work about being uncomfortable. About being in a world that isn't always the world you want to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurel-nakadate/well-my-intention-is-to-make-work-about-being-uncomfortable-about/) [Laurel Nakadate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurel-nakadate/) ## More by Carolyn Hax > [I actually recommend as little actual counting as possible in a life partnership. But, when there's a sense of injustice brewing between you, some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-hax/i-actually-recommend-as-little-actual-counting-as-possible-in-a-life/) [Carolyn Hax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-hax/) > [There has been, for some reason (or more likely an unfortunate accumulation of reasons) a trend over the past several decades for parents to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-hax/there-has-been-for-some-reason-or-more-likely-an-unfortunate/) [Carolyn Hax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-hax/) > [People who make babies surrender their right to behave like them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-hax/people-who-make-babies-surrender-their-right-to-behave-like-them/) [Carolyn Hax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-hax/) > [There's nothing like a good family when you're really up a tree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-hax/there-s-nothing-like-a-good-family-when-you-re-really-up-a-tree/) [Carolyn Hax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-hax/) > [It takes awareness that it's not only not a bad thing to let others do things their own way, it is in fact an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-hax/it-takes-awareness-that-it-s-not-only-not-a-bad-thing-to-let-others/) [Carolyn Hax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-hax/) > [The sudden death of a partner while expecting a child is so universally understood as awful that I don't think anyone with any other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-hax/the-sudden-death-of-a-partner-while-expecting-a-child-is-so/) [Carolyn Hax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-hax/) > [I do crosswords when I have time to kill somewhere, and am 100 percent successful on filling in the spots I get stuck on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-hax/i-do-crosswords-when-i-have-time-to-kill-somewhere-and-am-100-percent/) [Carolyn Hax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-hax/) > [Unfortunately, I think the expectation is that birthday girls don't pay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-hax/unfortunately-i-think-the-expectation-is-that-birthday-girls-don-t-pay/) [Carolyn Hax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-hax/) > [When you fail to see something, that doesn't mean I'm hiding it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-hax/when-you-fail-to-see-something-that-doesn-t-mean-i-m-hiding-it/) [Carolyn Hax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-hax/) > [All of us assign different values to things, and not all of those values are going to line up with others'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-hax/all-of-us-assign-different-values-to-things-and-not-all-of-those/) [Carolyn Hax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-hax/) > [Don't freight your answers with any notions of what you're "supposed" to do, and just see where your feelings point you. It can feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-hax/don-t-freight-your-answers-with-any-notions-of-what-you-re-supposed/) [Carolyn Hax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-hax/) > [There's nothing wrong with being happy somewhere, even if it's the little pond you grew up in, as long as you are in fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-hax/there-s-nothing-wrong-with-being-happy-somewhere-even-if-it-s-the/) [Carolyn Hax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-hax/) > [Being negative is easy. There will always be a downside to everything good, a hurdle to everything desirable, a con to every pro. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-hax/being-negative-is-easy-there-will-always-be-a-downside-to-everything/) [Carolyn Hax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-hax/) > [You need to make plans for your future, so plan your own future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-hax/you-need-to-make-plans-for-your-future-so-plan-your-own-future/) [Carolyn Hax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-hax/) > [First group impressions can mask a lot of individual variations in the members.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-hax/first-group-impressions-can-mask-a-lot-of-individual-variations-in/) [Carolyn Hax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-hax/) [Explore all 74 Carolyn Hax quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-hax/) ## More Awkwardness quotes > [Well, my intention is to make work about being uncomfortable. About being in a world that isn't always the world you want to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurel-nakadate/well-my-intention-is-to-make-work-about-being-uncomfortable-about/) [Laurel Nakadate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurel-nakadate/) > [It's awkward doing it with anybody, but it's like Twister.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pattinson/it-s-awkward-doing-it-with-anybody-but-it-s-like-twister/) [Robert Pattinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pattinson/) > [To combat social awkwardness, I would just act like I couldn't be bothered - that kind of aloof persona or aloof demeanor. It's so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/to-combat-social-awkwardness-i-would-just-act-like-i-couldn-t-be/) [Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) > [“Awkwardness, thy name is vampire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-neill/awkwardness-thy-name-is-vampire/) [Chloe Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-neill/) > [“What can one do with one's hands when the camera is interested in other things?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-eggers/what-can-one-do-with-one-s-hands-when-the-camera-is-interested-in/) [Dave Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-eggers/) > [I work from awkwardness. By that I mean I don't like to arrange things. If I stand in front of something, instead of arranging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-arbus/i-work-from-awkwardness-by-that-i-mean-i-don-t-like-to-arrange-things/) [Diane Arbus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-arbus/) > [I never wish to offend, but I am so foolishly shy, that I often seem negligent, when I am only kept back by my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/i-never-wish-to-offend-but-i-am-so-foolishly-shy-that-i-often-seem/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) > [God may forgive sins, he said, but awkwardness has no forgiveness in heaven or earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/god-may-forgive-sins-he-said-but-awkwardness-has-no-forgiveness-in/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I can't flirt, so I'll just seduce you with my awkwardness: xDDD](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel/i-can-t-flirt-so-i-ll-just-seduce-you-with-my-awkwardness-xddd/) [Rachel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel/) > [They meet in the girls' bathroom. The last time they were forced to meet in a place like this, they took separate, isolated stalls.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-shusterman/they-meet-in-the-girls-bathroom-the-last-time-they-were-forced-to/) [Neal Shusterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-shusterman/) > [My position in life has always been to be that person in the room who can make the conversation and break down any awkwardness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-narstie/my-position-in-life-has-always-been-to-be-that-person-in-the-room-who/) [Big Narstie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-narstie/) > [“Perhaps anything that he did would have pleased Lucy, but his awkwardness went straight to her heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-forster-2/perhaps-anything-that-he-did-would-have-pleased-lucy-but-his/) [E.M. Forster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-forster-2/) > [“Grace and chocolate cake can cover a world of awkwardness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-jo-baker/grace-and-chocolate-cake-can-cover-a-world-of-awkwardness/) [Lisa-Jo Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-jo-baker/) > [The finest manners in the world are awkwardness and fatuity when contrasted with a finer intelligence. They appear but as the fashions of past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-finest-manners-in-the-world-are-awkwardness-and-fatuity-when/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [There's an attraction to emotional clusters or hypocrisies or awkwardness. A desire to expose something or point at something that's already poking out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-chang/there-s-an-attraction-to-emotional-clusters-or-hypocrisies-or/) [Victoria Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-chang/) [Browse all 278 Awkwardness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awkwardness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Awkwardness is when there's a risk of a perception gap between what you mean and what you appear to mean.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Carolyn Hax" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-hax/awkwardness-is-when-there-s-a-risk-of-a-perception-gap-between-what/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Awkwardness" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-hax/awkwardness-is-when-there-s-a-risk-of-a-perception-gap-between-what/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb7/carolyn-hax-9229_awkwardness_awkwardness-is-when-there-s-a-risk-of-a_2593399.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb7/carolyn-hax-9229_awkwardness_awkwardness-is-when-there-s-a-risk-of-a_2593399.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb7/carolyn-hax-9229_awkwardness_awkwardness-is-when-there-s-a-risk-of-a_2593399.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Awkwardness is when there's a risk of a perception gap between what you mean and what you appear to mean.” — Carolyn Hax", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Carolyn Hax", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-hax/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Awkwardness is when there's a risk...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-hax/awkwardness-is-when-there-s-a-risk-of-a-perception-gap-between-what/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-hax/awkwardness-is-when-there-s-a-risk-of-a-perception-gap-between-what/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```