Knockwardness

on the power of known awkwardness

Feeling awkward, uncomfortable and out of place is a fantastic way to get in touch with our humanity.

If you’re heading in an awkward direction - if you are pointed towards the awk, you may be on the verge of some strangeness, some rich novelty. Everyone feels awkward before a breakthrough. When we feel awkward, perhaps we’re getting in touch with one of the prime movers in the universe - the frailty, doubt and unfamiliarity that comes with novelty.

Prime mover? Sure, the basic building blocks of matter are occasionally strange and behave in unexpected ways. At times we humans behave as though we’re strange quarks. When we allow strangeness, newness, novelty into our lives, we make connections, we learn.

When quarks pair up, they form the different hadrons that make up matter. Quarks, like humans are fundamentally relational. When they connect they make matter. When we connect we have a a chance to matter.

But novelty? All learning begins with novelty. And new things feel awkward.

Begi…