Why does silence feel so horribly awkward?

. UK edition

A young man and a young woman sit at either end of an orange sofa, looking into the distance

The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts

Why does silence feel so horribly awkward? Ruth Thompson, by email

Post your answers (and new questions) below or send them to nq@theguardian.com. A selection will be published next Sunday.