21 Awkward Problems You Must Face Everyday

6. Fist-Bump/Handshake/High-Five...Pick One

forgifs.com/galleryforgifs.com/galleryIt really sucks when two people, of very different mindsets with regards to what is the appropriate form of contact when meeting or agreeing or celebrating something try to do so. Some people just do not get that a fist-bump probably is not the best choice after an interview or a high-five does not quite fit when meeting someone for the first time. When the two choices go head to head, it is incredibly awkward and usually ends up in two people holding hands for a few seconds in the most awkward way possible. Its hard to be as smooth as Snoop here who knows without looking that this fool is not going for a fist bump.

5. Waving At Someone Who Is Clearly Waving At The Person Behind You

tumblrtumblrThis happens a great deal in movies and has become a cliché. It has, however, become a cliché for the reason that it happens all the time in real life. If someone is waving in your direction and you do not know who they are, they are not waving at you €“ enough said. Even if you are having a particularly good-looking kind of day, that stuff rarely happens and you will look and feel pretty stupid. If it seems too good to be true that this particular person is waving at you, then it probably is. It is always made so much worse when the person who initially waved sees you think that they were waving at you... there is no way out.

4. Awkward Elevator Silence €“ Or Worse, Conversation

There is absolutely no comfortable way to ride in an elevator unless you are alone or with exclusively people that you know. Riding in silence while looking straight forward or straight at the ground is the only close-to-acceptable way to ride an elevator with people who are strangers to you. It is particularly awkward when you are having a conversation with someone in an elevator and then someone random gets in. You will both stop talking abruptly, thus making everyone uncomfortably for the duration of the journey which always covers more floors than you would like. It is even worse when the person gets off at the same floor as you.
 
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Thomas is currently a postgraduate student of literature at the University of St. Andrews. He enjoys music and golf in his spare time when he isn't writing. Tom completed his first novel in the summer of 2013 which was published at the start of this year. Next year he is going to be working as a teacher in Dubai, continuing his research, and writing as much as possible. Follow on Twitter @Tom_Andrews91