It is a weekend night, and you have just spent all evening
with a fellow who was nice enough to walk you to your door. How sweet. As is
the case with males you know but don’t really know, like but don’t really see
often, are “friends” with but have never shared a meal, it is easy to be
confused about your romantic status. Is this the beginning of a beautiful
friendship or a prelude to a kiss? One slight caveat: you really only see this
guy as a friend.
So back to your doorstep, you give the guy a hug, because
that is what you do with people who are your “friends” and then he does what
you sort of expected he was going to do: he goes in for the kiss. In this
moment you have a choice: you can either pull your face away from his or you can
put your lips up for rent, either way, things are about to get hilarious.
The logic behind “less awkward than not” can produce some of
the most humorously awkward situations known to human kind. If you are a girl
who will kiss a guy because it is sometimes less awkward to do that than to
reject him, you are certainly not alone. Rejecting someone that you would like
to continue being friends with can get very touchy, and in my experience, can
frequently end all communication between two people for months (if not years).
An unexpected make out is not always a bad thing and sometimes it can lead to
camaraderie between two people that would not have developed otherwise (we’ve
shared spit, so he really gets me now).
However, I have also seen the idea of “less awkward than
not” turn sinister. You opt for the less awkward make out, then it’s the less
awkward boob grab and suddenly you have found yourself in a situation that you
want to opt out of. This is not what I am talking about here. Awkwardness
should never be a reason to stop advocating for yourself or to remain silent
when you feel uncomfortable. Never do something you don’t want to do.
When done correctly, the “less awkward” make out can lead to
some of life’s most hilarious encounters. Ever wonder what that strange guy in
your chemistry lab kisses like? No? Well, chances are some lucky lady has found
out (and it was probably me). And it doesn’t stop there, no, no, I know a girl
who once dated a guy for two extra months because it was less awkward to do
that than to break up with him. He was about to graduate anyway and she didn’t
want to deal with seeing an “ex” around campus. Instead, every time she knew he
was going to put the moves on her, she suggested they get really drunk or high
and he would just pass out. Worked like a charm.
Pulling a “less awkward than not” is sort of like telling a
white lie and you must use similar discretion. If you are a person who is prone
to making morally ambiguous decisions, maybe this little social tool is not for
you. It is also important to remember that you could be on the receiving end of
someone’s “less awkward” social courtesy. Times that one must be particularly
wary of this include: Greek life formal functions, date nights, sports team
functions or really anything with “screw” in the title. Social mores in these
situations almost always dictate that there will be some kind of hookup, so it
is important to know when it is genuine and when it is just the “less awkward”
thing to do.
However, social mores aside, if the breath is bad, just say
no.
- DeeDee
