Making New Friends

“No man is an island.” This quote is meant to demonstrate that everyone needs to be social and have friends. Making new friends can be difficult however, and it can be easy to get discouraged. There are some steps people can take to make this process easier including having a good attitude in general. Next, showing interest in other people and their hobbies can go a long way in growing friendships. Lastly, demonstrating respect towards a new friend's beliefs, opinions and choices is extremely important. Overall, making new friends can be challenging, but following these three steps will help a great deal.

Having a positive attitude can open up your opportunities for making new friends, simply by making you happier. Starting activities that include someone else will make sure that your attitude is shared by others. A positive outlook or “sunny disposition” also implies that you are not someone who judges other people, but that you are open. Making jokes and smiling can go a long way towards making new friends! The happier you are, the more people want to be around you. Above all, having a positive outlook on life can be infectious; other people will see your positivity and soon you will have new friends.

The next step in making new friends concerns showing an interest in what other people say and do. Always remember that listening before speaking is a good way to show others how much you are interested in their lives. There are ways to physically show interest such as eye contact, smiling and nodding. More importantly though, is the way you respond; ask questions, laugh and remember details. If people feel that you are interested in what you have to say, they will want to become your friend; everyone loves to talk about themselves! Being a good listener and showing interest in your new friends life will ensure that continuing the friendship will be easy.

Finally, respecting people's beliefs and habits is the infrastructure for making good