What is the fear of social awkwardness?

The fear of social awkwardness is often rooted in a deeper fear of public speaking or social interactions, which can manifest as significant anxiety when facing potential social scrutiny. In an episode of the Tim Ferriss Show, Tim Ferriss and Susan Cain discuss the concept of overcoming this type of fear. According to Susan Cain, the key to overcoming such fears is through gradual exposure to the feared situation in manageable doses. For instance, she describes her own experience of starting with very small steps at a seminar specifically designed to help people with public speaking anxiety. Each session was structured to incrementally increase her comfort with speaking in front of others, ultimately helping her to manage and reduce her fear [1].