Where would I go about making friends

Loneliness, Depression & Relationship Forum

Help Support Loneliness, Depression & Relationship Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Red Mouse

Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2019
Messages
11
Reaction score
0
In what places would I make friends? Other than school/work.

People often go to pubs and café's with their friends, and they probably won't want to talk to a stranger like me. Even if they are alone, it's kind of awkward to talk to a stranger like that. As if they want to talk to me.

Maybe I could visit clubs or conventions that are related to my hobby's and interests, but talking with strangers kind of seems weird. And I usually don't assume those strangers will become my friends, if they even want to talk to me at all.
 
I will just share a bit about my experience of making friends. 

I grew up in an orphanage until I was 18 yo. I only got my high school certificate and then "graduated" from the orphanage. I am a very shy boy but have many friends in the high school where I studied. I represented the school's soccer team. After high school landed a job as a technical apperentice.

I did a night class Engineering Course (Univ. Of London) and got awarded "Best Student" certificate. I was offered a job in NY which I accepted. I spent most of my evenings playing online strategy games. Made friends online and friendship grew when I made an effort to meet them in person. Some of these pals I still meet regularly whenever I am in their neighborhood. Friends for over 30 years now ....hahaha.
 
Salsa dancing classes can be good. Or any other type of dance classes I suppose. Sports clubs. Meetup groups.
 
You can make friends anywhere, you just have to talk to people and be careful not to be pushy, depending on where you are.

Clubs are a very good place to start, because you already know you have things in common with the people. You could also try volunteering or learning something new (like dancing), people will likely talk to you because you may need help or something.
 
TheRealCallie said:
You can make friends anywhere, you just have to talk to people and be careful not to be pushy, depending on where you are.  

Clubs are a very good place to start, because you already know you have things in common with the people.  You could also try volunteering or learning something new (like dancing), people will likely talk to you because you may need help or something.

You're right, you can make friends anywhere. I simply don't make friends that easily, and I also often have trouble keeping friends. That's simply the truth, which I will have to accept.

But I should not leave out of the equation that I often assume that people who want to be friends with me are rare to find, even though that may not actually be the case. I often assume that people don't like me, even if they haven't said so, I often think I make a bad impression. Maybe I should put those thoughts out of my head and assume that it is possible that those people want to be friends with me.

Many people already have plenty of friends, so they aren't really looking for new friends. Where I live, many people are "reserved' (to word it that way), they already have many friends and don't really need any new friends. That also makes it harder to make new friends. But since there are so many people, I should be able to make a few friends, even if it will take time.

I am not considering to join another hobby club and like I stated, going to the pub is not the best idea in my situation. So the question really is, where would I find friends without spending any money (or little money)? Hobby clubs and the pub cost money.


bender22 said:
Salsa dancing classes can be good. Or any other type of dance classes I suppose. Sports clubs. Meetup groups.

Hmm. Meetup groups might indeed be a good place to make friends. Meetup groups for people who have similar interests/hobbies. Thanks for the advice.

I am already a member of a sports club, but haven't managed to make friends there. Well, at least not people who I can actually consider to be real friends.
 
I share from my experiences. I find quite easy to build friends. Just be open and friendly .... not being pushy. Just be relax and move at the pace they are comfortable.

Friends I have made are from:
1. Workplace 
2. Church
3. School & college 
4. Service club 
5. Recently... I shared a table in a cafe with a chap. Became latest friend as he invited me to his group of friends (3 others)

Good luck.
 
Towns have social clubs where people meet even just to have a cup of tea and a natter. You could also join a church if a religion interests you.
 
Red Mouse, you know the usual answers to your question because its such a common one for many people and you've already got ideas of work, school, clubs, and such.  I'd reiterate the twice suggested option of church for 3 reasons, assuming you could find a good Christian church nearby that has small groups and is involved with community activities.  This would require your time moreso than money, so give it some serious thought.

First, most Christian churches are eager to welcome new visitors, believer or not.  And should you join a small group (some have dozens or hundreds with various goals and interests) and see the same folks week after week, you will likely find one or more individuals there for friendship potential.

Second, working side by side with others is a good way to share a bond and build a potential friendship.  A good church usually does community service, with some sort of project being coordinated every month or so.  By participating, you have opportunity for new friend prospects as well as the satisfaction of doing some good for the world.  It's a win win if you just show up to help.

Third, if you're not a believer, going to a good Christian church and befriending people there may eventually influence you to respect and accept the faith.  Then, you'd really have shared interests and reasons for friendship with the church members you'd met.  You'd also have an eternal family to look forward to in heaven (or the new earth actually).  This is consistent with the 1000+ individuals having near death experiences that have reported leaving their physical bodies and seeing a welcoming reception of loved ones who have left this world.   In other words, the loving relationships we make here in this temporary life can become eternal in the next life if they're part of God's family.  That's worth working on and embracing.
 
There are meet-in and meet-up groups you can find in your area. If you do a google search for meetin or meetup (two different organizations), they list a bunch of activities that you can sign up for IRL (not online). Typically, you'll meet people with similar interests, which is one way to get to know people in order to make friends. You can generally ask the leader of those groups questions about the venue, such as how many people will be attending, or whether there are equal males and females, etc. Depending on your social preferences, you can find groups that are the right size and comfort levels for you.

It would really depend on what kind of friends you are looking for, also. Are you looking for friends with similar interests? Are you looking for close friends who can comfort you and vice versa? Are you looking to make healthier friends than what you've had in the past? Writing a list down will help you determine the place you'll find such friends.

For instance, if you're looking for friends you can go hiking with, you'd typically find a group that hikes (or even a hiking class), and start from there.

But if you're looking for more emotional support, that typically takes time. You can meet those kinds of friends anywhere, but in general, people take their time before diving into a supportive friendship - probably a year or longer, sometimes less, depending. That said, if you really could use emotional support soon, then support groups might be one of the best ways to meet friends.

If you're looking for healthier friends than what you've had before, you have to ask yourself what qualities you'd like in a friend, and how you overlooked those (negative) qualities in the past. Sometimes therapy/counseling can help with building boundaries, assertiveness skills, self-esteem, and detection of red flags in order to avoid toxic relationships. Generally, meeting up in groups only (not one on one) might be the safest first step before forming close relationships right after toxic breakups.

If you're looking for a professional network, where your friends typically have the same work-related interests as you, attending local conventions, symposia, and conferences are wonderful ways to meet people. For instance, if your hobbies are really work-related, like research or tech stuff, then you can attend the local conferences that relate to your topics of interests or your field of study. Students aspiring to become professionals often do this for networking purposes; they may find potential peers who can befriend them for advice or peer mentorship, or they may find professional mentors who are willing to hire them as interns or research assistants.

Even introducing yourself to your neighbors offers some level of social support. They may not be your close friends, but they are someone familiar you can do small talk with. You can suggest a mixer to your apartment manager, or you can offer to host an apartment mixer in the lobby of your apartment complex. Mixers can be as simple as a potluck to as extravagent as hiring a DJ or other entertainers as well as catering.

Relationships take time to build, including friendships. Many people have established a strong social network throughout their high school and college years, but there are the rest of us who weren't so lucky for one reason or another. For those of us who have not had strong social connections, or who lost their connections, rebuilding new connections may seem tough. But even people with strong social connections find themselves moving to new locations or moving apart from old connections at some point in their lives. In essence, everyone struggles with making new friends at some point in their lives. Some are more extroverted, which makes it easier to be the initiator of friendships and invites. Others are more introverted and/or have little disposable income to spend time out finding and maintaining friends who are more affluent. Many suggestions I've made above do tend to cater to extroverts, but there are enough extroverts who will reach out to us introverts at the right place and right time. It's a matter of finding out what those right places at right times are - for us.

Hopefully these suggestions help.
 
Or go to an Irish pub like in Sligo and you'll be sure to make friends.

There's nothing like Guinness when poured from an Irish tap. ;)
 
What type of a commitment do you expect from "friends",?

Most of us identiied similarities, common gronds, afinities... If you don't dare them, you cant guess you they are or how likeable you would be to them. So risk yourself to be rejected or like, otherwise, enjoy you trip in life alone.

What would you be gaining If you were shy!


This keypad... 😠
 
To answer your question.  Hobbies, interests, courses and volunteering.  Remember it takes time to make friends, so unless you are lucky you won't make friends in a few weeks.  You might have to go for a couple of months.

Also try Meetups.

Remember also that most friends you make will be casual nothing deep or meaningful.  It is the way it is.  However you might get luck and meet someone you form a deep connection with, a closer friends.

I have only made short term acquaintances so far, so no luck for me.  But you might be luckier than me.


Good luck.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top