Ty Tashiro
Psychologist and social scientist, author of Awkward: The Science of Why We're Socially Awkward and Why That's Awesome
Ty Tashiro (Psychologist and social scientist, author of Awkward: The Science of Why We're Socially Awkward and Why That's Awesome) has appeared as a guest on 1 episode in TMT. Topics they speak about most include Social awkwardness, Autism spectrum.
In their words
Positions and remarks grouped by topic, each with the exact quote and where it was said.
Social awkwardness
Tashiro recommends his parents' advice that awkward people should figure out how to fit in without losing themselves.
“hey, Ty, so the key is figuring out how to fit in without losing yourself. And I think that's such great advice”
TED Radio Hour: Life can be so awkward. Here's how to embrace the embarrassing (Sep 25, 2026) · Listen from 21:00
Tashiro claims there is a robust correlation between awkward characteristics and striking talent or extraordinary achievement.
“there's this curious correlation that's pretty robust between awkward characteristics and what psychologists would call striking talent or extraordinary achievement”
TED Radio Hour: Life can be so awkward. Here's how to embrace the embarrassing (Sep 25, 2026) · Listen from 19:38
Tashiro says awkward people are routine-focused and can feel panicked when their structures are disrupted.
“And although any of us can get a little frustrated when our routines get interrupted, awkward people can get really bent out of shape about that”
TED Radio Hour: Life can be so awkward. Here's how to embrace the embarrassing (Sep 25, 2026) · Listen from 16:10
Tashiro uses an analogy in which awkward people see the social stage spotlighted slightly off-center, missing key social information but gaining unusual perspective.
“awkward people, by comparison, see that same stage not broadly illuminated, but spotlighted. And to make things interesting, that spotlight tends to fall a little left of center”
TED Radio Hour: Life can be so awkward. Here's how to embrace the embarrassing (Sep 25, 2026) · Listen from 12:45
Tashiro argues that awkward people are characterized by social skill deficits, communication difficulties, and obsessive interests.
“So awkward people have social skill deficits. They have a hard time knowing what's expected in the social situation and also have a hard time executing the right social skill”
TED Radio Hour: Life can be so awkward. Here's how to embrace the embarrassing (Sep 25, 2026) · Listen from 8:30
Autism spectrum
Tashiro says many parents report children near the 95th percentile of autistic traits who cannot get help because they do not meet the diagnostic threshold.
“my son or daughter would be at like that 95th percentile of autism characteristics and they can never qualify for a diagnosis”
TED Radio Hour: Life can be so awkward. Here's how to embrace the embarrassing (Sep 25, 2026) · Listen from 9:24
Tashiro argues that awkward people are not autistic, but autistic and awkward traits lie on a continuum without a clean cutoff.
“And so awkward people aren't autistic. I don't think it would be good for us to say that they're on the autism spectrum. But it is the case that it's not a clean cutoff”
TED Radio Hour: Life can be so awkward. Here's how to embrace the embarrassing (Sep 25, 2026) · Listen from 9:57
Appearances
Life can be so awkward. Here's how to embrace the embarrassingTED Radio Hour · Sep 25, 2026 · 50 min
Manoush Zomorodi talks with Ty Tashiro, Liana Finck, Melissa Dahl and Erin Chen about awkwardness, embarrassment, cringe and talking openly about sex.
Often appears with
- Manoush Zomorodi · 1 shared episode
- Liana Finck · 1 shared episode
- Melissa Dahl · 1 shared episode
- Erin Chen · 1 shared episode