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I also enjoy quiet breaks in the conversation. I believe that awkward silences are normal, and it is only awkward because people become uncomfortable and self-conscious about it. If I find that there is natural break in the conversation where neither of us have anything left to say, that is the perfect time to end the conversation. When it happens with my husband, we're both perfectly happy to be lost in our own meanderings, keeping each other company.

This is completely untrue about many introverts. [IRL] I am an insane introvert and I only open up to certain friends, I have a friend that is also creepily introverted and we walk in the halls together and have fun while doing it [NOT LIKE THAT!] while not saying a word. We can just hang out silently for hours. She and I have very little in commen other then the fact that neither of us can really open up to new things and I can have sympathy/empathy for many people including her when needed.

We share very little in commen, but we still have few akward silences. We end up traveling into our own thoughts, only to laugh at what the other was thinking at that moment in two hours or so....

I have many other introverted friends, this is just one of them!

Chalk up another one for the shy/can't figure out what to say crowd.

Awkward silences, for me, are simply a fact of life. Unless I pretty well prepare a script or something (acting?!), then they'll crop up eventually, and I can't help it.

I suppose the best way to avoid them is to have some sort of backup topic you can whip out despite the person and usually get a favourable response. Given that everyone is different, you'll likely need a few of those emergency conversation life-supporters.

Silence in itself isn't awkward. With a significant other, sometimes the silent times can be the most fun wink . Even with close friends, you can often just sit there and enjoy someone's company without saying a word. I know when I'm upset, I often don't want to talk at all, and just want to know I have someone's attention.

Still, at times silence is definitely awkward. It depends on how well you know the other person. One of my suggestions for people who you don't know so well is ask an open ended question. Instead of 'Did you have a good week?', ask 'What was the best thing that happened to you this week?'. Instead of 'Do you like sports?', ask 'What's your favourite sport?'. Even with people you know better, this trick of asking them to say more than yes or no makes for a good conversation (and is handy especially if you're a little shy, as the other person can talk about themselves a bit).

If I find myself in an awkward silence, I tend to giggle a bit. This isn't good if you're not the giggling type, but it can help the other person/ people to relax (unless of course the awkward silence was because someone made an inappropriate joke/statement).

I usually don't have problems with awkward silence, mostly because I don't stop talking,lol! If i do encounter awkward silence it's usually because I've put my foot in my mouth and said something really stupid. But being the kind of person I am I apologize and then make a few jokes about my social ineptness.
So for me I have a feeling it's more like people hope I stop talking for a few minutes, lol!

Awkward silences are just a normal thing in life. They can happen anywhere, and even if the silence doesn't seem awkward at first it can end up that way when standing in a group of people.
In the group of people I eat lunch with awkward silences are almost normal, and when one happens someone usually says 'Gay baby!' or 'Awkward Silence!' and everyone starts laughing.
What I hate the most are the awkward silences that randomly pop up right as you're going to say something you don't want anyone else but the person you're talking to to hear. Those can be really weird. xp

Awkward silences usually define me. I can't think of what to say most of the time...