The Best Ways to Meet New People
Human beings are gregarious in nature. What this means is that we all need attachments, communication, and connection with others. In spite of this inclination, some people find the process of socializing rather difficult. They aren’t able to build the relationships they need, which could lead to frustration and loneliness.
As you can see, it’s important to learn some strategies to socialize, meet new people, and even expand your circle of friends. It’s essential to understand that communication and assertive conversation are the best way to approach others.
“I meet people and they become chapters in my stories.”
-Avijeet Das-
The challenge of enriching one’s social circle
As you may already know, a conversation is a good way to express ideas, opinions, feelings, and goal. Thus, it’s the foundation of establishing new relationships.
Therefore, it’s important to develop an ability to communicate informally and in a friendly manner. This will help reduce your fear and anxiety in uncertain situations in which you may meet new people.
Non-verbal language
This kind of language comprises more than half of the information you transmit, and it’s useful to communicate and project a given level of receptivity towards others. The SOFTEN technique, which consists of six points, may help you:
- Smiling is an indicator of an open and friendly attitude and a willingness to communicate with others.
- Opening your arms suggests that you’re friendly and willing to meet new people. It indicates you’re receptive and listen to what people say during a conversation.
- Leaning forward shows interest in what your interlocutor is saying and encourages them to continue.
- The most socially accepted form of touching is a warm handshake. This shows an open and friendly attitude when meeting new people when you do it just right.
- Direct eye contact shows you’re listening and want to know more about what a person is saying. It should be natural and you shouldn’t overdo it. You could move your gaze from their eyes and focus on their mouth, for example.
- Head nodding shows that you understand what your interlocutor is talking about and encourages them to continue a conversation. It also gets people’s attention.
Verbal language
According to Gabor (2011), you have to maintain an active stance during verbal communication. That is, being the first to greet helps start a conversation and express your ideas and opinions. In addition, your approach must be direct and friendly. It’s important to keep in mind that some people may not be willing to meet new people.
As you can see, there are many ways to approach new people and break the ice. For example, a compliment. A second way is to make a comment about something they’re carrying, such as a book or a musical instrument.
It’ll be easier to continue a conversation after you break the ice. This is because the initial dialogue will give you clues as to where to take it.
Places to meet new people
It’s true that daily life centers on contexts such as school, work, or home. It limits the number of people you can make contact with. This is why it’s important to break your routine and be open to new activities. Keep in mind that new contexts involve new people.
Volunteering is a good activity for this. You won’t only help those in need but will also meet new people with your same interests. Having a common ground will ease your interaction. In addition, regular contact will also help you to improve the quality of some of your relationships.
Going out with friends and meeting their friends is another good option to meet new people. It’s the ideal situation, as the security provided by the people you already know may boost your confidence.
Another thing you can do to meet new people is to try extracurricular activities, such as sports. Many people seek these activities not only for personal enrichment but also to meet new people.
Technology, an ally to meet new people
Information and communication technologies have revolutionized many aspects of human lives. The social one might be the most significant. In fact, contact and relationships at a distance have taken center stage thanks to them. This context can equally facilitate relationships with both friends and new people. These platforms are ideal for shy people and can serve as training for real-life relationships.
There are many websites and apps to meet new people. However, you must have an idea of what you’re looking for. This is because there are many options out there. For instance, some are for dating, while others are just for reaching those with similar tastes.
Another option is to play an online video game. You can make alliances with several people to pass certain levels in a video game, for example.
There are many ways to enrich your social circle
As you can see, there are multiple contexts in which to interact with new people, either face-to-face or online.
These ways to break the ice and communicate more successfully will help you meet new people to expand your social circle.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Aguilar, B. S., Serrano, R. M., García, M. de los Á. O., & Alfaya, E. G. (2016). Procesos de socialización con redes sociales en la adolescencia. Revista Latinoamericana de Tecnología Educativa – RELATEC, 15(3), 155-167. https://doi.org/10.17398/1695-288X.15.3.155
- Gabor, D. (2011). How To Start A Conversation And Make Friends: Revised And Updated. A Fireside Book.
- Rodríguez, E. F., & Pequeño, J. M. G. (2017). La socialización de los jóvenes interconectados: Experimentando la identidad en la sociedad aumentada. Profesorado: Revista de currículum y formación del profesorado, 21(2), 171-190.
