Why Awkward is Awesome with psychologist Ty T...

Hello from Team Simon! We're taking a quick break this week and will be back with brand-new episodes of A Bit of Optimism next Tuesday. Until then, we're revisiting one of our favorite episodes — when bestselling novelist Fredrik Backman joined the show to talk about the thing he ...  Show more

Maybe this sounds familiar: you leave a party and spend the rest of the night convinced everyone was upset with you. Or you replay something you said in a meeting for days and second-guess every last word. Vanessa Van Edwards has been there. As a self-proclaimed "recovering awkwa ...  Show more

You’ve likely experienced an awkward moment or two in your life. You say or do something that’s out of social sync, leaving the person you’re interacting with bemused, and you feeling like running and hiding under a rock. 
While awkwardness is an uncomfortable feeling and c ...

Can the traits that make you feel socially awkward actually be the key to unlocking extraordinary success?

We’ve all experienced a time when we felt like an outsider looking in. But for some, this isn’t a rare occurrence, but a constant struggle. In fact, research shows ...

Melissa Dahl is a senior editor covering health and psychology for New York's The Cut. In 2014, she cofounded New York’s popular social science site, Science of Us. Her work has appeared in Elle, Parents, and TODAY.com. Her new book, Cringeworthy, is her first book. In our conver ...  Show more

Have you ever made a comment in a meeting that was met with silence? A silence that felt like hours, and you had no option but to wait for that awkward moment to be over? We’ve all been there. But having awkward moments at work doesn't have to be a bad thing. In fact, this week's ...  Show more