We often find ourselves in awkward situations when gathering with friends and colleagues. These may include forgetting people’s names, handling the check when eating out with a group of people, or inappropriate romantic advances.
The truth is some of us are more outspoken and apt at dealing with them than the rest. How well do you think you would do in any of these situations?
In the video below, you will see an interview with an expert on etiquette and editor for a lifestyle magazine on how to handle awkward situations we may face at a social gathering. What do you think her advice would be in the scenarios mentioned?
Over to you
- Do you agree with the speaker’s advice?
- Have you ever found yourself in the situations above? How did you handle them?
Here are some interesting words and expressions that were used in the interview. Can you find them in the talk? Without using a dictionary, can you guess from the context what they mean?
Watch it again if you need to and see how they were used:
Forgetting people’s names:
fess up / a trigger/ don’t let them struggle/ jump right in
Handling the check when with a group
count on being the host/ make any implications/ treat you all/ pay their share/ take charge
figure out what everyone owes/ split this four ways/ be assertive
an awkward tug-of-war / accept graciously
Inappropriate flirtations
just shut them down/ hitting on someone/ be the tattletale that goes around causing trouble/ just put it out there
2 responses to “Handling awkward social situations”
I told my friend one time I see her husband with other woman. Her husband told I am lieing and my friend beleive him. We are no more friends. Now, I dont think I ever tell someone. even my own sister.
sometimes you want to tell your friend because you think this is the right thing to do, but often times it backfires. I beleive you should not tell. They will figure it out by themselves sooner or later. When people cheat their behavior changes at thome and the spouse will know.