In addition to the many messages you will begin to notice comin' directly at your brain-face as you hit your late twenties/early thirties about all the things that will get "harder" for you as you get older (ever being skinny again, finding the right dude to impregnate you with the right, skinniest baby) a big one…
Back in December, we offered some tips on going to a holiday celebration of another religion. But religious services of various kinds go on all year, and different rules apply when you're in church than when you're at a Hanukkah party. Herewith, some advice on going to someone's place of worship without making an ass…
Instant messaging is kind of a no-man's-land where etiquette is concerned, inhabited by tweens and people who type like them. And yet most of us must use it — often even for work. Let's take a look at how we can do so in a less dickish fashion.
Even if you're not, say, the President of the United States, you may well be called upon at some point to give a speech or presentation before an audience. This can be super-stressful! Luckily, we've assembled some tips to help you wow anyone and everyone.
When you're a lady — even if you're smart, together, and tough — standing up for yourself can be pretty difficult. Women are supposed to smooth things over, be nice to everybody, and defuse conflict rather than cause it — so asking for anything at all controversial can seem transgressive or even bitchy. Here's how to…
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While lots of holiday parties are mostly about fun, togetherness, and hot cider, they may also include expressions of the host's religion. Below, a few tips for attending parties of faiths different from your own — and for hosting a friendly, meaningful affair.
When someone you know has a miscarriage, it can be hard to know what to say. We have some tips for responding sensitively in this difficult situation.
During the holiday season, one event sometimes crops up that's potentially even more stressful than a long dinner with your extended family. I refer to the high-school reunion. And whether you'll be attending this year or sometime in the years to come, we have tips for you.
Everyone tells you to seek out mentors in your career, but how exactly do you do that? And how do you interact with a mentor when you get one? Never fear, we have some answers for you.
Whether you're going in for an eyebrow wax or a full Brazilian, paying somebody to rip your hair out can present some etiquette challenges. Today, we tackle those challenges head-on.
Especially now that jobs are hard to come by, a lot of people find themselves in long-distance relationships. And there's a lot of advice about to manage such relationships. But what about the rest of your life — how do you keep up with your friends when you're always jetting off to see your partner? Below, some tips…
When you're single, hanging out with coupled friends can be awkward. You don't want to break up with your friends when they enter relationships, but you don't want to be the third wheel, either. And what about "couple-y" social functions where everyone seems to have a partner? Never fear, we have tips for you — and for…
A lot of social events involve, or even revolve around, alcohol. If you're sober, or if a friend or date is, this can cause some problems. Luckily, we have some tips for solving them.
Bullying is supposed to be a junior high thing, but everyone knows it doesn't always end when childhood does. Today we have some tips for dealing with bullies, mean girls, and mean guys who are long past their cafeteria days.
We've all been there: trapped in a seemingly neverending conversation with no obvious way out. How do you escape without hurting the other person's feelings. Never fear — whether you're at a party, on the phone, or stuck in an email chain, we have exit strategies for you.
Do you have something uncomfortable to tell someone? Like maybe she smells bad, or he needs to wash his hair more, or everyone can see her underwear when she bends over? Here's how to break the news with minimal fallout — and how to decide if you should keep silent instead.
Religion is one of the three things you're not supposed to talk about at the dinner table (along with politics and The Great Pumpkin). And yet it's pretty important to a lot of people. Here's how to discuss God stuff without getting into a shouting match.
We've all been caught cursing in inappropriate situations (sorry Mom). But how do you recover from this embarrassment, and avoid it in the future? And are there situations when cursing is actually a good idea? Today we answer these questions and more.
At weddings, people with no public speaking experience — and no desire to have any — sometimes have to get up in front of a big group of people and say something moving, charming, and memorable. Unsurprisingly, this is stressful! But we have some tips to make it less so.
Like mildew, awkwardness tends to breed in enclosed spaces. Living or working in cramped quarters can create difficult situations for even the most socially adept of us. Today, we'll show you how to handle it.
Everyone has the occasional terrible, horrible, no good, very bad mood. Unfortunately, your mood doesn't necessarily cooperate with your career or social calendar, and one of the terrible secrets of being a grown-up is that you can't blow important people off without engendering their disdain and ultimately harming…
Usually at Social Minefield we discuss ways to interact with people, but today we'll be talking about how not to interact — specifically, how to get alone time when you need it. People who are introverted may find that they need regular bouts of solitude to recharge, but everybody needs a breather from company…
Clothes-shopping can be stressful for lots of reasons, not least the social: how do you turn down those $400 jeans the salesperson thinks look so great on you, or tell her you don't need any help without sounding like a jerk? Today we answer these and more questions about interacting with sales staff while attempting…
Especially if you've never been pregnant — but even if you have — interacting with a pregnant lady can be a big social minefield. You know there's some stuff pregnant women don't especially like (invasive questions, belly rubs from strangers), but how do you avoid that stuff and talk to moms-to-be in a polite and…
A breakup is obviously tough on the couple involved — but if you're friends with them, you face a social minefield of your own. Here's how to navigate it with a minimum of strife.
Starting around middle school, many of us learn that periods are awkward. They require special behaviors and products, some of which we need to perform or purchase in public, and yet we're supposed to keep them totally private. Also, there is blood everywhere. But never fear — we're here to help you negotiate your time …
A summer jaunt with your friends can be a source of beautiful memories — or an expensive deathmarch of awkwardness and acrimony. Here's how to make sure it's the former.
Summer is often a time when out-of-town friends come to stay in your house. This can be a lot of fun, but it can also be stressful and difficult — you've got people in your space, and you have to find ways of entertaining them. Fortunately, we have tips to make any visit fun and hassle-free.
Hosting a party can be a stressful undertaking. Will people come? Will they have fun? Is vomit bad for houseplants? We answer all these questions and more.
