More Inept When You're Involved?

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Does anyone else find that you can understand social situations more when they aren't happening to you?

E.g You can sit back and analyse the situation and see someone is being rude or understand what someone is trying to ask someone else etc, but when it's happening to you, you're just confused?

Definitely, and it's not surprising to me. Sometimes when I'm in the mood for self-reflection I'll (secretly) record my interactions with people throughout the day, and go over them on occasion to try and understand myself and others more.
What about you?

-Wave

Oh yeah, absolutely. A lot of the time I'll pick up on what's going on with an observed social situation very quickly and be able to understand opposing points of view or even mediate things if I'm asked to.

Once I'm fully involved though? If something goes wrong, I usually figure out what just happened a few minutes after the conversation ended. Then I end up having to tell people what was going on the next time I meet them, which is... awkward. Often helpful, but awkward.

I think I can understand social situations more as an observer rather than an active participant, although it is limited in both cases. As an active participant, anxiety plays a huge role and causes me to literally freeze to the point of not being able to think!

I can understand things well when I look back (or at a fictional scenario) and dissect it as a series of events and possibilities. It's harder to feel it out--especially accurately--in the moment.