Ever been in a situation where something happens that you didn't expect to happen and then you just malfunction? Once you start malfunctioning you can't stop malfunctioning until you are out of the situation completely. I call this the avalanche effect.
This effect happens a lot more than it should. I find it usually happens when I haven't been out of the house in a while, or maybe I just freshly got out of the zone from developing, making music, or playing games. Something non-social for hours at a time is usually a key factor for this effect to kick in.
Lets go back in time to one of my previous development gigs.
I just arrived at work, headed upstairs, and then proceeded to the area where my team resides. I do the same routine every day, sit at the same spot, and then crank out some sweet code.
But today was different. Somebody was sitting in my spot.
I thought I could be funny, perhaps act like I'm making a big deal out of the situation, or shake their chair or something. Maybe I should even scare them. Oh man, so many ideas going through my head, I should just pick one.
Alright, here we go, time to perform!
Immediately my laptop bag falls off my shoulder, makes a very loud sound, and I start to panic. I can't show this person I'm panicking, I have to continue with my performance. Oh man, I think I might have damaged my laptop and...
"Hey, what are you doing? You just killed your laptop man"
This was not the response I was expecting. I wanted to say the first words. Now I have to respond, but I don't even know how to respond because this was not at all what I expected to happen. I was supposed to act surprised, not actually be surprised!
"Oh my laptop is fine, you are in my seat man"
"Well here's your seat back, is your laptop gonna make it?"
Ahh back on the laptop. I really hope it's okay, I'll find out once I sit down. I try not to be rude; my tone is very surprised and yet somewhat humorous? I'm so confused right now because this was not supposed to happen like this.
Well I have my chair now, and I look at my laptop and it's fine. No marks.
"Your laptop okay?
"Yes, it's all good, I just accidentally slipped my laptop bag"
"Well it didn't look like an accident, kind of just looked like you threw it down"
Yeah it did look like I threw it down. Why did people have to notice? What's so funny is that I know this person is giving me a hard time just as I was going to give them a hard time before the avalanche happened, but now I just look awkward and don't know how to respond since I wasn't prepared.
The avalanche effect is hilarious, but when it happens you really can't stop because it always happens in a public situation and you feel like everyone is watching you. For the most part, people are watching you, because you are a show for however long it lasts.
To recover from the avalanche effect is to put yourself out of the situation completely, almost like hitting a re-boot. You can walk away, grab something to drink, get some fresh air, or you know - practice being social so these events don't happen anymore.
Being social is hard. Did I mention that?