How to make friends?

[craptakular]

I am an internet geek, I have lost contact with most of my friends. They have moved away, I have moved away.

Now I just sit at home and play online MP and talk crap with online saddo's.

The problem is now I think my social skills have deteriorated. I find real people annoying as they just talk about everyday trivia that I care nothing about.

How do people pretend to be interest in X-factor and the lives of others?

I find small talk hard now, I struggle to engage with people who just talk crap, but this is normal like everyday social chat. I usually simply just say I don't watch TV and simply walk off.

I conversely have nothing interesting to say, who wants to hear about my issues with lack of decent games and my clans dwindling turn up for our weekly scraps online?

 

[Marine Iguana]

I am an internet geek, I have lost contact with most of my friends. They have moved away, I have moved away.

Now I just sit at home and play online MP and talk crap with online saddo's.

The problem is now I think my social skills have deteriorated. I find real people annoying as they just talk about everyday trivia that I care nothing about.

How do people pretend to be interest in X-factor and the lives of others?

I find small talk hard now, I struggle to engage with people who just talk crap, but this is normal like everyday social chat. I usually simply just say I don't watch TV and simply walk off.

I conversely have nothing interesting to say, who wants to hear about my issues with lack of decent games and my clans dwindling turn up for our weekly scraps online?

How do people pretend to be interest in X-factor and the lives of others?

You shouldn't be interested in that crap anyway.


I usually simply just say I don't watch TV and simply walk off.

I also don't watch TV it's full of the above.

P.S. You are doomed.

 

[Tachyon]

Start at looking at interests you have other than online gaming. Eg. I like a bit of astronomy so I turned up at a local meet last week and had a great night. Why walk away when you don't watch tv? I watch very little tv as well but tv isn't the only subject in the world. As for struggling to engage with people who just talk crap, then you start talking about something that isn't crap. You have to be prepared for the small talk though, I mean last week with those folks I'd never met before I ended up talking about things such as photography to eye surgery. Never talked about the x-factor once.

Your just stuck in a rut and need to find new interests. Another eg. is I like photography and walking & there happens to be a group which caters for folks that hill walk and take photos so I told my wife that I'll likely meet up with them at some point when I've a bit more time. Don't panic, you're not doomed yet.

 

[Efour]

jesus wept

 

[Participant]

Just do what makes you happy.

 

[Edrof]

Did he just call us online saddos? I think he just called us online saddos.

 

[Adrianr]

Get involved in an activity that's not sitting at home on your arse. Go take up a sport. If you have any particular love for a sport you tend to find like minded people also do, so it's much easier to make friends.

Also - Job? Socialising with work colleagues is a good bridge to getting back into socialising with friends.

 

[mrk]

Try reconnecting with old friends, see what they're up to? Reflect on good past experiences with them and bask in nostalgia

Alternatively here's a straw:

Now suck it up!

Did he just call us online saddos? I think he just called us online saddos.

*Puts one hand on Edrof's shoulder, a single tear drips down both our faces*

It's OK man, it's OK.

 

[Cosimo]

Just do what makes you happy.

Look for friends.

 

[Monkey00]

Take pills, go to a club where everyone takes pills. Have friends.

 

[4T5]

Steal some Mannequins & make some.

 

[Cosimo]

Steal some Mannequins & make some....

.... Hay

 

[paradigm]

Get a real world hobby. I took up rock climbing when I needed to get out and meet some new people.

 

[the shadow]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmC62Eg82E8

 

[wannabedamned]

I have a few friends at work, a few friends from school and friends that are just friends of family. My best mate moved to cornwall, so thats a hard friendship to maintain but we try!

I found I made alot of new aquaintances when I started doing martial arts, often go for a coffee with one of the extremely pretty(but married) students there. Just do something that involves people and dont shy away from spending time talking with them.

 

[TJM]

How do people pretend to be interest in X-factor and the lives of others?

I find small talk hard now, I struggle to engage with people who just talk crap, but this is normal like everyday social chat. I usually simply just say I don't watch TV and simply walk off.

The key to making friends and being a good conversationalist is actually taking an interest in other people, not pretending to be interested. If you don't like the X-Factor, ask them why they do and start a discussion.

I have friends who are mad about golf, cycling and accounting (!), which I know now a lot more about than I used to because I indulge them when they want to talk about it (and they do the same for me when I'm talking about an interest that they don't share). We listen to each other and ask questions. Out of my friends, the only person who insists on dragging the conversation back to something they like is the one with zero emotional intelligence. Needless to say, he's seen as a bit of a manchild. Don't be that guy.

 

[Bigpops]

A hobby that involves leaving the house is the answer.

If that also involves joining a club to be able to enjoy that hobby, then even better as you'll meet people with a common interest right away, and you already have something to talk about that you're all interested in.

 

[dowie]

I find real people annoying as they just talk about everyday trivia that I care nothing about.

How do people pretend to be interest in X-factor and the lives of others?

I find small talk hard now, I struggle to engage with people who just talk crap, but this is normal like everyday social chat. I usually simply just say I don't watch TV and simply walk off.

There are plenty of people who don't like x-factor etc... perhaps find a new interest/hobby and join a club/take a course. You're fairly likely to find like-minded people to hang out with simply by finding people with a shared interest - as half their 'chat' is likely to be about that shared interest.

The other course of action that seems to be popular in these situations is to decide you're an introvert, self-diagnose yourself with 'aspergers' and then blame the rest of the world for not understanding you. Obviously you sound a bit more pragmatic than that.

 

[doofer]

Get a real world hobby. I took up rock climbing when I needed to get out and meet some new people.

Yeah, it's just amazing how many people you meet 250ft up a sheer cliff-face.

 

[Scuzi]

Alcohol. You'll soon be talking rubbish with everyone else and you'll be their best friend.