How to Meet People and Make New Friends
Meeting people can be difficult for anyone, especially if you’re shy or introverted. But relationships are an important part of life. If you’re a Christian, you can’t exactly be a light to the world when you’re staying away from it.
It’s important to maintain and nurture friendships you already have, but you should always be open to meeting new people as well. Why?
Why you should meet new people.
Here are just a few of the reasons why it’s great to continually meet new people:
- So you can have friends.
- So you can have more
- So other people can have friends.
- To expand your mind and view of the world.
- To network and make connections.
- To be an influence.
- For support, encouragement, and inspiration.
Can you really know too many people or have too many friends? Sure, there will always be people are closer to you than others. There’s nothing wrong with that. But making new connections is a wonderful thing.
You never know who might become your next best friend. And you never know who might be in serious need of a friend.
So, how do you do it? Well, first you need to accept something:
It’s rarely going to be easy
Relationships take work. Both establishing new ones and maintaining old ones. Going through the process of getting to know someone and letting your guard down takes time and effort. Be willing to work for it.
If you’re not willing to work for a relationship, you’re showing that it doesn’t mean that much to you.
You’ll need to be ready to invest and sacrifice. Are you ready? Okay.
When you’re invited, say yes.
Have you ever known someone who complains about being alone, and yet always turns down invitations whenever they’re invited to something? It’s ironic, really. But it’s so easy to do without even realizing it. We assume that wanting to meet people and feeling like doing something go hand in hand, but they can often be mutually exclusive.
That means, if you’re serious about meeting people, you’re going to have to say yes to things. Even when you don’t feel like it. Of course, these should be activities that are morally acceptable.
So if someone invites you to go rob a bank or something, feel free to turn them down.
Don’t assume. Engage.
Often, before we get to know a person, we form our own idea of who they are and what they’re like. Because of this, we don’t think we need to meet them because in our mind, we already know them.
But we don’t.
You don’t know a person until you engage with them and experience life beside them. So don’t assume what people are like. Talk to them. Engage with them. See who they really are.
Think of things to ask beforehand.
Not great at making conversation? Do many of your social interactions end after a sentence or two? Consider planning ahead. Think of some questions that go beyond a simple yes or no. Try and create a proper discussion.
Find common ground.
One of the best ways to truly engage with someone and make a memorable impression is to find common areas of interest or passion. Not only will this lead to genuine conversation, but it will provide a foundation for future discussions.
Ask about their likes and dislikes. See what they’re hobbies are.
Do enough digging, and eventually, you’re bound to find a shared interest.
Get involved.
Maybe the problem is you’re never around new people in a social setting. A great way to change that is to get involved in something, whether it’s your church, a community outreach, a social outing, or something else.
Engage with an event or organization where different people are coming together from different places.
Not only will there be people you don’t know, but it will provide you with a reason to interact and a topic to talk about.
Meet friends’ friends.
Do your friends always seem like they’re busy going out with different people and having a lot of fun? Why not join in? Making friends with your friends’ friends is typically easier than meeting a total stranger.
Next time your friend is going out, ask if you can tag along.
Take it slow.
Once you’ve set out to meet new people, it’s easy to become impatient. You expect to click with someone immediately, or you come on too strong, and potential friendships don’t have a time to properly play out.
Remember that true relationships can take time to develop. You may even become friends with a person you initially didn’t like. It happens all the time.
Be resilient.
Even with patience, you likely won’t become friends with everyone. Some people might not like you. You just might not be able to relate to others. It can be discouraging when you’re actively trying to meet people, and it feels like you’re not getting anywhere.
But if you persist, eventually, you will click with someone. You’ll find yourself in a new social circle. New friendships will blossom.
And your life will be better for it.