[throway98752343]

Excellent points, I completely agree.

As long as social skills matter, they will be the more serious barrier over things like exercise, grooming/hygiene and other self improvement fixes because those can be improved on your own while practicing social skills takes willing partners. If it's bad enough, you're in a chicken and egg situation. There are ways out of it like rejection challenges but that's really painful.

"we should be kinder and more sensitive to socially awkward men when they try to make friends, or ask women on dates" Again I agree, this would help so much. But I get that many women are not in a place where they feel comfortable doing this yet. "I do think people should make an effort to reject socially awkward folks without traumatizing them!" Saying no is a skill that many of us are very bad at, especially doing it gently and unambiguously.

Social skills is one area where society can help, by encouraging more in-person role models, mentors, and conversation partners (men AND women) to give young people these skills. Maybe better fictional role models too.

Thanks for sharing your insights.

[a_puppy]

> But I get that many women are not in a place where they feel comfortable doing this yet. Saying no is a skill that many of us are very bad at, especially doing it gently and unambiguously.

This is a totally valid point, and I don't mean to make anyone feel bad if they have trouble finding the words to let someone down gently. All I ask is that people should be aware that social awkwardness can sometimes look similar to rudeness, and should make an effort to let socially awkward men down gently, to the extent that they can.