Is Awkwardness a Superpower?

If you had told me my social awkwardness was a superpower when I was a teenager, no way would I have believed you.

But ...

The evidence says, yes, actually, people value my awkwardness. Why?

Because my devoted fans say that they like how authentic I am. They feel they have permission to be their messy human selves with me and that's such a relief in business situations!

Here's what I learned about appreciating what I consider one of my biggest liabilities.

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Transcript

Is Awkwardness a Superpower? 
 

 Hi, this is Judy Murdoch and welcome to the Marketing Root Work Podcast. Today I'm going to be addressing an interesting topic. Is awkwardness a superpower? So as an introvert, an HSP, highly sensitive person, I have never been a person who loves to go to big parties. 

My social in aptitude was especially bad when I was in high school. One year I took American History as a summer school class. And during the break when other kids mingled in the hallways laughing and talking, I stayed in the classroom reading a book. I dreaded going into the hallway realizing that I had no one to talk to. 

And standing around awkwardly, I felt surely everyone would notice me standing alone and feeling grateful they weren't me. Now, one thing I want to say. Is, it really does get easier with time for one thing. Unlike my teenage self, I have a lot more control over what I do and do not attend. I don't have to attend large parties, and even if I do, I can leave early or find a quiet place to read. 

I'm also a lot kinder to myself. When I learned I was an introvert, I breathed a sigh of relief. There was nothing wrong with me. I was just wired to require solitude after hanging out with people. These days, I make sure I structure my time, so I use my social energy well. One of my favorite aspects of my work is that I get to hang out with some very cool people and I can schedule a walk after meetings to reset my nervous system and chill. 

But a part of me still wishes I weren't so awkward. Sometimes when I listen to myself in podcast conversations, I cringe because of the way I sound. I wish my communication style was smoother and had fewer rough edges. It's the reason I love to write because writing is a very fluid way of communication for me. 

You don't hear all the ums and likes. That you hear when I'm speaking. You don't hear me forgetting entire words and names, which has gotten worse as I've gotten older. So here's an interesting question. If my fairy godmother can make me a better speaker, less socially awkward, would I say yes? I think five years ago I might have said yes, please, today I would most likely say thanks, but no thanks. 

What has changed? Well, I've learned that people really appreciate authenticity a lot. In 2025, I interviewed my stakeholders because I was genuinely interested in what my superpowers were in the opinion of what I call my devoted vans. I would some, I was surprised that what people said they liked most about me was my authenticity. 

And here's the way I would summarize the comments I heard. I meet people in networking situations, and they're trying so hard to seem professional and competent. It's like they're putting on a performance, and I feel like I'm not talking to the real person. When I talk to you, I always feel like I'm talking to the real Judy. 

I deeply resonate with this idea. It's the reason I dislike social media because people often show up feeling that they need to be performing a certain role in order to be respected and admired. I'm not casting shade on this tendency because it's a deeply human need to feel a sense of belonging that we are valued members of our peer groups at the same time. 

It is also a deep human need to connect with other people at a level that feels real. And real means we are showing up fully, which includes our messy human side. When we show up fully, we give others permission to be themselves as well. Think about how good it feels when you can show up in a way where you don't feel you need to keep a tight reign on everything you say and do. 

It's a huge relief, right? And nothing says authentic like social awkwardness. So what Showing up authentically is not One reason I can commit to showing up authentically is because I fully own my awkwardness. I'm not blaming anyone or anything for who I am and the way I am. I am not saying the world should be a place that makes it easier to be awkward, although that might be nice. 

I have compassion for myself and for everyone who struggles with feeling weird or awkward because it isn't always easy. But accepting myself as I am lightens the load. At least I don't have to deal with my own lack of compassion. So I'm curious, how does this land for you? Do your, do you see yourself as so socially awkward? 

Or perhaps you have some other personality trait you believe is a liability for you as a business owner? Can you imagine that what you see as a liability might actually be a superpower? I'd love to hear what you think. I appreciate you, Judy Murdoch. Marketing root work, coach, writer, and artist.