Cabrales, Antonio, Raffaele Miniaci, Marco Piovesan, and Giovanni Ponti. "Social Preferences and Strategic Uncertainty: An Experiment on Markets and Contracts." American Economic Review 100, no. 5 ...

But take a moment to consider whether you really want to. Awkwardness is the result of social uncertainty; it slows things down and curbs your confidence. In its absence, other emotions can set in.

"Social uncertainty is always part of the game," says Pryor. "But when we're growing, we need to take micro-risks. [That] might mean raising your hand and suggesting something in a meeting ...