How to deal with awkward situations
2nd Apr 2024 Dating & Relationships
3 min read
We’ve all been there: you say the
wrong thing and you want the ground to swallow you up! Here are some tips on
how to deal with awkward situations
I forgot the name of someone I know
Don’t be mortified when you
forget the name of an acquaintance or colleague. These things happen to
everyone. Just say, “Oops, I’ve forgotten your name” and light-heartedly
promise to remember it next time.
"Don’t be mortified when you forget someone's name: these things happen to the best of us"
When the person reminds you of his or her
name, repeat it aloud as a way of helping you remember it better.
I called someone the wrong name—the really wrong name
What may be worse than not remembering
someone’s name is calling the person by the wrong name. For instance, you’re
speaking to a friend’s new husband, and you call him by the old husband’s name.
Or you refer to your new boss by the ousted boss’s name.
"If you call someone the wrong name, acknowledge your mistake with humour"
Try to acknowledge your mistake
with a little humour. Perhaps say, “Oh, I really know you’re Mike and not Tom.”
Apologise for your slipup and let it drop. If your mistake obviously insulted a
person of authority, such as your boss, who wasn’t impressed with how you
recovered from the error, you might want to send a quick note later, again
apologising for the lapse.
I really put my foot in my mouth
You wrote a nasty email about someone—and now you realise you accidentally sent it to them. Or you just
mocked an acquaintance who, you discover too late, is standing nearby. Since
the floor isn’t going to open up and swallow you whole, as much as you wish it
would, you’re going to have to deal with this.
You must offer an apology, and it
must be a good one. Don’t say, “I didn’t really mean it.” You probably did mean
it and denying it will just compound the error. In other words, don’t apologise
for what you think, feel, or said about the person. Instead, apologise for the
effects of what you said.
Try something like this: “I
cannot apologise enough for making those careless comments about you. It was
heartless, it was stupid, and you don’t deserve whatever embarrassment or
irritation I caused you.” Apologise profusely and sincerely and then be done
with it; don’t stretch out the explanation or keep bringing up how sorry you
are later.
I’ve bumped into a friend who didn’t invite me to their wedding
Your circle of university buddies
swore you’d be friends forever. So, your feelings were hurt when, five years
after graduation, one of them invited everyone else to their wedding but not
you. You’ve just bumped into them, and you feel awkward.
If you're not invited to a friend's wedding, take the high road and wish them well (credit: August de Richelieu (Pexels))
In this case, take the high road
and don’t mention not going to the wedding. Perhaps you lived far away from the
ceremony, and your friend didn’t want you to feel obligated to buy a plane
ticket. Or maybe the other friends had stayed in closer touch with them than
you had.
Whatever the reason, don’t make a
big deal of it. When you see your friend, congratulate them on their marriage and
wish the happy couple the best.
A stranger asked me a personal question
Perhaps you’re pregnant. Or your
child has a birthmark or disability. Or you’ve adopted a child of another race.
You’d think these matters would be your business alone, but unfortunately there
are a lot of overly curious people out there.
Although such questions are
undeniably rude, bluntly telling the questioner to mind his or her own business
is not the way to go. People don’t mean to be rude. Give them the benefit of
the doubt.
"People don't mean to be rude: give them the benefit of the doubt"
Have a few polite responses
ready, but don’t offer too much information. Say something like “Yes, I’m
expecting” or “Yes, they’re adopted.” Continue with “I’m in a really big rush”
and keep walking.
My friend has bad breath
How do you tell your friend they
have breath that would slay the devil? Here’s an easy, roundabout way: pop a
mint or piece of gum into your own mouth and then offer one to your friend.
This way, you won’t be saying anything outright, and if they accept your offer,
everyone wins.
A polite way to solve a friend's bad breath is to have a mint or piece of gum and offer them one (credit: fauxels (Pexels))
If not? Well, it depends on how
strong your friendship is. You either risk offending your friend with the truth
or ignore the problem and excuse yourself to get a breath of fresh air.
Banner photo: How to deal with some common awkward situations (credit: Bernard Hermant (Unsplash))
Keep up with the top stories from Reader's Digest by subscribing to our weekly newsletter