Awkward on Purpose: Stop Performing

Meeting new people is weird. You’re trying to listen. You’re trying to be interesting. You’re trying to laugh a little harder than you actually want to. You’re trying to nod even though you have no idea what they just said. Very normal. For this experiment, I want to see what happens when we do a little less of those. I'm Curious What happens if we notice the tiny performances we do around other people and occasionally decide not to do them? Trying to seem smart. Trying to seem chill. Trying to seem interesting. Trying to make sure the other person is having a good time. Pretending you heard what they said. Laughing because it seems socially appropriate. Asking a question you don’t actually care about because silence has entered the chat. None of these things are crimes. We’re just going to catch ourselves doing them and get curious. 6 hours !? Yes. 12 strangers. 6 hours. Because two hours is usually just enough time to learn everyone's job, hometown, hobbies, and preferred method of escaping awkward silence. I want to see what happens after that part. Actually, we will skip that part. So what are we actually doing? You’ll talk to people. There’ll be some structure. There’ll be prompts. There may be silence. At various points, you might find yourself saying things you normally keep in your head: “I have absolutely no idea what to say next.” “I think I asked that question because I was scared of the silence.” “I was pretending I understood what you meant.” “I noticed myself trying to make you like me.” Terrifying. But liberating. Then we see what happens. The Format The format is inspired by something called a T-group, which is basically an experiment in paying attention to what is happening right now, between the people in the room. That's probably all you need to know. ​Should I come? If your reaction while reading this is: “That sounds kind of uncomfortable… but I’m really curious,” you’ll fit right in. I believe you'll like this especially if you: sometimes overthink social interactions are curious about what people are like when the usual scripts disappear enjoy experiments with uncertain outcomes have ever walked away from a conversation and thought, “Why was I acting like that?” are now slightly worried that you perform around people more than you realized $39? 93% goes toward renting the venue. 5% goes toward refreshments. 2% goes toward the miscellaneous logistics. Details Date: 9/27, Sunday, 2026Time: 12:30 PM – 6:30 PMLocation: San Jose, CA — exact location shared with confirmed participantsCost: $39Group size: 12 peopleRefreshments: Snacks and water will be provided Please join only if you’re willing to: ✅ participate for the full session (6 hours) ✅ open to talk about feelings