History Main / NoSocialSkills

* ''Film/EdwardScissorhands'' is an odd example: despite being taught by his inventor about manners and politeness, the title character has no idea whatsoever how to live outside his castle. On top of that, while he is very kind and gentle, his understanding of ethics is a bit...sketchy. Edward's "father", for lack of a better word, actually intended to fully educate him and would have left him with a workable, if outdated, method of interaction with people. Sadly, he died before Edward's education was finished. It didn't help that, being a MadScientist (or at least highly eccentric), he thought teaching him manners took precedent over ''giving him proper hands''.

* ''Film/LeaveNoTrace'': Both Will and his daughter Tom are lacking in social skills, he mostly because of his [[ShellShockedVeteran war experiences]], she due to not having much interaction with people who aren't her father.
* Abby in ''Film/LetMeIn'', due to being a vampire who has lived a nomadic life for centures. She's cold and standoffish to people. Despite needing to keep a low profile, she doesn't make much attempt to hide her undead nature, i.e., walking in the snow barefoot. She doesn't seem to understand why people see her behaviour as odd. When she sneaks into the main character's room at night through the 2nd story window, strips naked and crawls into bed to cuddle with him before outright telling him she flew, she doesn't seem to understand why the boy is understandably confused.
* Up until she came to the school, Cady from ''Film/MeanGirls'' lived in Africa and was homeschooled, thus winding up with absolutely no clue about how things worked in "Girl World". Her parents appear to be clueless every time they appear:

* Ludlow in ''Film/{{Pixels}}'' is absolutely terrible with people, with others' reactions to him ranging from "what the hell is wrong with this guy?" to "uh, get him away from me!"

* Dina in ''Webcomic/DumbingOfAge''. She doesn't understand human interactions at all, and needs coached on things like "how to show sympathy via light physical contact". At one point she befriends Riley, because Riley has "simple, identifiable desires", but fails to recognise that Riley is a pre-teen. Interestingly, this seems to give her greater insight in ''very specific situations'' where most people's knowledge of human behaviour lead them to making incorrect assumptions. [[spoiler: For instance, all the behavioural tics that tell everyone Amber can't possibly be Amazi-Girl? She doesn't see any of them, just two women who look identical, only one's wearing a costume.]]

* Mordecai Heller from ‘’Webcomic/{{Lackadaisy}}’’ struggles with social situations outside of his contract-killing career, especially flirting (in one side comic he wishes he were a ficus after a misunderstanding between himself and a flapper results in an awkward encounter with said flapper’s angry friend).

* Mordecai Heller from ‘’Webcomic/Lackadaisy’’ struggles with social situations outside of his contract-killing career, especially flirting (in one side comic he wishes he were a ficus after a misunderstanding between himself and a flapper results in an awkward encounter with said flapper’s angry friend).

In RealLife, people with [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyssemia dyssemia]] and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonverbal_Learning_Disorder nonverbal learning disorders]] fit this trope. It's a symptom of certain forms of [[UsefulNotes/{{Autism}} autism]], including UsefulNotes/AspergerSyndrome; a differently wired mind can make it hard to grasp neurotypical social cues, which can give the unfortunate perception that LonersAreFreaks.[[note]]Though it should be noted that this goes both ways - neurotypical individuals have difficulty interpreting autistic social cues as well, and [[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/341523903_Autistic_peer-to-peer_information_transfer_is_highly_effective contrary to popular belief, autistic people are just as capable of conveying information as their neurotypical counterparts]]. This is called [[https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.708375/full the double empathy problem]].[[/note]] The impulsivity of UsefulNotes/AttentionDeficitHyperactivityDisorder can also manifest this way. Media is aware of this but tends to exaggerate its prevalence and intensity. A mild form is also common in people involved with academia. That said, Administrivia/NoRealLifeExamplesPlease

--->'''Anna''': This is awkward...not you're awkward, but just because we're--I mean, awkward. You're gorgeous. [[DidIJustSayThatOutLoud Wait, what]]?
%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory1'''s Buzz Lightyear makes a lot of ''faux pax''s because [[FishOutOfWater he has no idea he's a toy]]. This was so popular that a new Buzz Lightyear doll was introduced in ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory2'' to highlight the personal growth of the original while having an excuse to keep the NoSocialSkills humor on tap. In ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3'', it turns out that Buzz's lack of social skills stemmed from him being in "demo" mode.

-->'''Mom''': Where's Cady?\\
'''Dad''': She went out.\\
'''Mom''': She's ''grounded''.\\
'''Dad''': Are they not allowed out when they're grounded?

* Raven from ''Webcomic/{{Archipelago}}'' has been created as a low-level MindRape device. When, due to a complex set of circumstances, he starts to become a person, social skills don't come naturally to him. He does - slowly - learn.

* Arianna from ''Webcomic/{{Castoff}}'' had a bad childhood and no mistake. Then her luck turned and she became a member of a mercenary group, a professional BountyHunter - not a job where "nice" pays. Consequently, she's bluntly distrustful, even paranoid, towards pretty much everyone, and when she genuinely wants to be nice, she stumbles. A lot.

* ''WebComic/QuestionableContent'':

* Most of the crew of ''Literature/{{Galactiquest}}'''s ''Celestion-5'' are varying degrees of this, with social anxiety, misanthropic behavior, and some who are just plain... [[CloudCuckoolander odd]].

-->'''Jane''': First I'm awkward to people, now I'm awkward to inanimate objects, too...

Compare BetterWithHumanCompany, where a character has more of an affinity for non-human lifeforms. Also compare SociallyAwkwardHero. Contrast with TheSocialExpert.

Compare NotGoodWithPeople, where a character has more of an affinity for non-human lifeforms. Also compare SociallyAwkwardHero. Contrast with TheSocialExpert.

* Mater from the Pixar ''WesternAnimation/{{Cars}}'' films. He's socially awkward and socially inept. He has a hard time communicating his thoughts and feelings to others and doesn't know what topics to talk about in front of other people. He has a hard time with others' opinions too, either not understanding them or thinking that if they don't like his friend [=McQueen=] they must be bad people. He sometimes says inappropriate things at the wrong times and unintentionally embarrasses his friends in public places when talking to new people. It's been speculated that he might be on the autism spectrum.

** Lalli doesn't like spending much time around other people and managed to get a job as a night scout that let him do just that, which causes him to be lost in social situations due to a mix of lack of practice and his AmbiguousDisorder. This leads to a lot of BrutalHonesty, InnocentlyInsensitive moments and generally having a behaviour that takes a little getting used to for people who meet him for the first time.

** Hannelore doesn't have the greatest grasp of normal social behaviour when she's introduced. Her upbringing is probably more to blame than her SuperOCD; she was primarily raised on a space station by a mad scientist, after all. Later updates indicate that she was literally raised by the space station's [[SapientShip sapient AI]], as her father was too busy with his work. And even then, the Ship states that Hannelore spent most of her childhood huddled in a corner, terrified of everything.

** Rick Shades is loud and bombastic, acts overly friendly even to complete strangers, and frequently makes very morbid comments in casual conversation. The end result is that he comes across as incredibly off-putting and creepy, something he seem entirely oblivious to. [[spoiler: He implies that he used to be better with people, but due to spending the last eight years locked away from the rest of society and used as a gladiator, his social skills have suffered./spoilers]] It doesn't help that he comes from the strictly isolationist Ocean Country, [[FishOutOfWater and is therefore completely unfamiliar with most things on the surface.]] 

[[folder:Light Novels]]
* Ako in ''LightNovel/AndYouThoughtThereIsNeverAGirlOnline'' is very shy in real life with most people, even to those who are nice to her. She also doesn’t understand why Hideki and Akane don’t want her talking about their MMORPG in class. Her net game is one of the only places where she is comfortable. Improving this was one of the reasons her guild started the Net Game Club.
* Pascal from ''LightNovel/DaybreakOnHyperion''. Due to a combination of growing up with very few companions of his own age and IntelligenceEqualsIsolation, he's aware of the formal manners required of his noble rank but has trouble grasping the little social graces that make interaction with his peers go smoother. Correcting this issue is an ongoing project for his familiar Kaede.
* Shizuo Heiwajima from ''LightNovel/{{Durarara}}'' [[FriendlessBackground grew up with very little]] in the way of positive social contact due to his [[HairTriggerTemper anger]] and impulse control issues. As a result, he does not have much in the way of social graces.
* Sagara Sousuke from ''LightNovel/FullMetalPanic''. He's been in the military since birth. Someone once described Sousuke as that character in a TabletopRPG who [[MinMaxing traded in]] all those "worthless" character points in social skills and instead put them into [[SacrificedBasicSkillForAwesomeTraining combat abilities.]] He is a nice guy, he just has no concept at all of what's expected of someone in a high school environment. Naturally, the writers put him in a high school environment, often. This turned out to be so popular that an entire season with this as the main premise was produced: ''Anime/FullMetalPanicFumoffu''.
* In ''LightNovel/{{Katanagatari}}'': Shichika grew up in a island with his exiled father and his big sister, and was already a young adult when he met another human being for the first time. Because of this, at the beginning of the series, he is unaware of most social norms and can barely tell two people apart even if they look absolutely nothing like each other.
* ''LightNovel/MyNextLifeAsAVillainessAllRoutesLeadToDoom'': The reason for Atsuko "Acchan" Sasaki's FriendlessBackground, but mostly an InformedFlaw. She had difficulties interacting with people, which made her isolated at school. And given that this made her [[FriendlessBackground very lonely]], the trope was {{Deconstructed|trope}}.
-->''I don’t know how to speak to my classmates... or how to try to be friends with them. I don’t understand things like that.''
* Mashiro of ''LightNovel/ThePetGirlOfSakurasou'' [[IdiotSavant knows absolutely nothing but drawing]]. Thus Chihiro-sensei assigns the OnlySaneMan Sorata as her handler.
* Shana from ''LightNovel/ShakuganNoShana''. She [[{{Tykebomb}} was raised for combat]], and her caretakers failed to see the importance of pretty much anything besides that, not even a name. This helps explain why she reacts to romance [[{{Tsundere}} the way she does]]. At one point, she starts asking everyone about kissing and how babies are made, which makes for some ''really'' awkward moments...
* ''LightNovel/SpiceAndWolf'':
** Holo matches this trope to a glimmering 'T'. She is a wolf spirit/god of the harvest. She's a lot savvier about the way humans live than the others, though. She has lived with humans several times in the past, and spent centuries watching the people of a single village. Indeed, she often understands people better than they understand themselves, and isn't above emotional manipulation when it suits her. She is carefree about certain human conventions, but not because she doesn't understand them -- she just doesn't care. She also goes centuries without interacting with humans, so her social awkwardness often stems from being so out of touch with the times.
** Lawrence's social skills are quite poor as well. While he's adept at communicating at others of his trade in the process of various business deals, he doesn't have much experience with people outside of the field of economics. He's ''especially'' ignorant of the courtship process.
** Lawrence and Holo are good examples of different ways this trope can be applied. Lawrence knows a lot about contemporary society and social institutions, but isn't very savvy about human nature. Horo is the exact opposite, and both are intelligent enough to cover for each other as necessary.
* Tres Iqus of ''LightNovel/TrinityBlood'' displays this trope every now and then in his interactions with Abel. Especially in the manga, he is often heard uttering the phrases like, "Does not compute." Of course, it's questionable if this is because Abel has an extensive vocabulary or simply because he's crazy. However, Tres also fits into the "brutal honesty" classification quite snugly. Considering Tres is a robot, it is more like he is one of the wolves.
[[/folder]]

One background that can lead to this trope is to be RaisedByWolves -- growing up with animal parents. They may be an intellectual (from a nerd, up to an AbsentMindedProfessor) who thinks more about their favorite subject than interacting with people. Alternatively, they may have had an isolated or abusive childhood or SacrificedBasicSkillForAwesomeTraining. Or all three. They may be bamboozled by the opposite sex and ask WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove. Alternately, they may have had social skills in the past, but after being away on TheQuest or some other mission for an extended time, may have a lot of difficulty reintegrating into civilian life due to being a ReturningWarVet, a ShellShockedVeteran or a StrangerInAFamiliarLand.

One background that can lead to this trope is to be RaisedByWolves -- growing up with animal parents. They may be an intellectual (from a nerd, up to an AbsentMindedProfessor) who thinks more about their favorite subject than interacting with people. Alternatively, they may have had an isolated or abusive childhood or SacrificedBasicSkillForAwesomeTraining. Or all three. They may be bamboozled by the opposite sex and ask WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove. Alternately, they may have had social skills in the past, but after being away on TheQuest or some other mission for an extended time, may have a lot of difficulty reintegrating due to being a ReturningWarVet, a ShellShockedVeteran or a StrangerInAFamiliarLand.

One background that can lead to this trope is to be RaisedByWolves -- growing up with animal parents. They may be an intellectual (from a nerd, up to an AbsentMindedProfessor) who thinks more about their favorite subject than interacting with people. Alternatively, they may have had an isolated or abusive childhood or SacrificedBasicSkillForAwesomeTraining. Or all three. They may be bamboozled by the opposite sex and ask WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove. Alternately, they may have had social skills in the past, but after being away on TheQuest or some other mission for an extended time, may have a lot of difficulty reintegrating due to being a ShellShockedVeteran or a StrangerInAFamiliarLand.

One background that can lead to this trope is to be RaisedByWolves -- growing up with animal parents. They may be an intellectual (from a nerd, up to an AbsentMindedProfessor) who thinks more about their favorite subject than interacting with people. Alternatively, they may have had an isolated or abusive childhood or SacrificedBasicSkillForAwesomeTraining. Or all three. They may be bamboozled by the opposite sex and ask WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove. Alternately, they may have had social skills in the past, but after being away on TheQuest or some other mission for an extended time, may find themselves unable to reintegrate due to being a ShellShockedVeteran or a StrangerInAFamiliarLand.

* A rather disturbing case in ''{{Film/Nightcrawler}}''. Initially, our protagonist, Lou Bloom, appears to be socially inept. He has no sense of personal space, talks like he's reciting from a business pamphlet, and has an off putting vibe that makes him come across as stilted. As the film progresses, it becomes more and more apparent that our protagonist isn't a MisunderstoodLonerWithAHeartOfGold, but rather a full blown psychopath whose lack of social skills come from a callous disconnect from human life. When his assistant, Rick, calls him out on this, Lou counters by saying his lack of social skills aren't a result of not understanding others, but rather, [[MisanthropeSupreme not liking them.]]

%%Administrivia/ZeroContextExample* ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'''s Buzz Lightyear makes a lot of ''faux pax''s because [[FishOutOfWater he has no idea he's a toy]]. This was so popular that a new Buzz Lightyear doll was introduced in ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory2'' to highlight the personal growth of the original while having an excuse to keep the NoSocialSkills humor on tap. In ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory3'', it turns out that Buzz's lack of social skills stemmed from him being in "demo" mode.