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Social Butterflies Share Advice On How To Make Meaningful Friendships As An Adult

Social Butterflies Share Advice On How To Make Meaningful Friendships As An Adult

Social Butterflies Share Advice On How To Make Meaningful Friendships As An Adult

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Many children seem to have almost no problems making friends. "Oh, hi fellow person who is approximately my age and is within reasonable proximity to me, we're friends now!" and that's it. It's almost like they don't really have a criteria past that, and that's great! It means making friendships that matter tends to come easier for them. But what about us adults? One reddit user asked:

How do you actually meet new people and make meaningful connections over the age of 20?

And we were like "... ... ... actually we have no idea." and hopped right into this thread ready to screenshot and implement new ideas. Why? Because we need actual in-person friends, that's why. We love you dearly, citizens of internet, but you guys can't come out with us to try and match beta fish to the wall color of the room the fish tank is in. Wait, we might know why we have no friends...

Click next and read through while we sit and do some serious contemplation about ourselves.

Begin With The Beginners

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Join a beginner's class for something new that sounds interesting every once in a while! Best case, you make some new friends and maybe find a fun new hobby. Worst case, you still try something new and maybe get some good stories out of it.

Seriously, I took a couple fencing lessons and while it turns out fencing is totally not for me, I met some awesome people through it. And I took a cooking class where I didn't really meet anybody I clicked with, but now I know how to make crepes, so I'm calling it a win

Wardrobe Change

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I'm going to be 100% honest, when I first turned 18 I had no confidence. I had been to a bar a couple times and the extent of my knowledge was "I'll have a beer".

I'm not making this up when I say floral shirts changed that. I wore a floral shirt to the club (first time I ever went to a club) because my friend said "wear something funky so that it catches the black light nicely" so I did and instantly people came up to me and talked to me. Sometimes you don't have to directly make an effort but I guess when you do something that catches people's attention in an out-there way (positively and innocently) it helps. I found myself having conversations that I didn't start. It definitely helped me get out of my shell :)

Put It All Out There

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By going to activities you're actually interested in. Look up local meet up groups for dog walking or dungeons and dragons or tomahawk throwing... whatever your interests are and then go. If you're active in your professional field, go to happy hours or chat up coworkers at lunchtime.

Honestly, it's more about putting yourself out there than anything else. I'm naturally introverted so I understand how hard it can be; but in relationships of any kind you really do get out what you put in.

Wait, There's An OUT Of The House?

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Find someone at work you don't hate. Invite them to do something you like. See if it works out. If not, eh, try again with someone or something else. Get a gym membership, take a class in something (anything), go to a bar and go for broke on karaoke, volunteer somewhere... Common thread: you have to get out of the house, man. More than likely, you're going to have to make the first move, too. It'll be ok though.

Friend Date

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I asked a girl from work out on a friend date. We went to the movies and saw the matador. It was weird and awkward at first to do it but she's been my best friend for 13 years and we still tell people our "first date" story . I met the rest of my friends through a guy she dated, we started going to a weekly pub quiz with some of his friends. The friends loved us and kept us! They're pretty much my family I love them all so much.

Do You, Boo

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In my honest efforts over the last year to achieve this sort of stuff, the best I've come up with is to just do you. Like playing music? Buy a ukelele! Wanna be more active? Try out that climbing gym! Think you should call your mom more? You probably should!

When you do the things you love, meaningful connections will gravitate to you. People who share your passions or admire your skills. Sometimes the best was to start, is by making a meaningful connectionwith yourself.

Do Not Want

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After I leave work, I want to leave work. Unless it's obvious that my co-worker and I would get along, I will leave work at work.

A few years ago, I realized I was isolating due to my addiction and, after I cleaned up, took several chances on meeting people. All my friends from high school had moved away. All the people I knew from college were starting families and businesses and generally didn't have time for me. So, I just started fishing. I still remember the first time I tried to buddy up with some rando. He was a nice guy and I wasn't being creepy. Just continued a conversation that he started. After a while he just kind of walked away. I remember being confused and hurt, like I had just been turned down by a girl! But I just kept trying. Honestly, it's also difficult to friend randos without a similar interest or topic to bond over, in my opinion. Unless booze is involved, but you never know if the person you've "friended" is the real friend or the inebriated person. Plus, the whole sobriety thing puts a damper on that for me.

The way I finally started meeting up and hanging out with people is by joining music appreciation group. They found out I could sing and I joined a "band" for a while. I met more people through those people and now I have regular friends for the first time in my adult life.

My suggestion would be to look for groups that meet up with similar interests. Or to go to a beginners class in whatever.

The hardest lesson for me to learn (other than to be OK with being me, first) was to not be weirded out when someone doesn't want to be your friend. The thing is, someone is going to try to be your friend and you'll want nothing to do with them. That's just the way it works.

Buddies With The Bar Staff

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Moved to a new city at age 44...went to a local watering hole and became acquainted with the management, bartenders and waitstaff. Everything just fell into place after that.

Get A Better Job

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Most of my new connections are from work. But its important to note that i found a job that is similar to my hobbies, so meeting like minded people was easy.

Follow Your Interests

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How I've met new people outside of college:

  • Gaming tournaments
  • DnD games
  • Tech talks
  • Language classes
  • Friends of friends

Basically stuff that I'm interested in, and activities where you would keep meeting the same people over a period of time. If you think about it, people make friends in school because they keep being around the same people.

Significant Problem

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Step one: acquire SO who is good at making friends Step two: let them do it for you

Puppy Power!

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Dogs. Own, love, walk, understand, and generally allow yourself to succumb to dogs.

Dog people talk to each other and share their madness. You have a reason to meet, a reason to get out, and a shared pleasure.

Plus, and this is key, dogs are the best.

Dating Apps

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If you're not in school, work. If not from work, through mutual friends at social outings. Sometimes randomly when you go out.

There's also using dating apps for strictly platonic connections. Some people, I've noticed, use them for friends and friends only.

FORD Tough

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I've found that being open to new experiences is a top contender. Going to events you think you might just enjoy, and then trying to talk to people there. A compliment, passing comment, or even a direct introduction to a new person could get them talking. If they're interesting, perfect, if not. Well, there are many more people out there. Don't be afraid to cold approach people, and don't be afraid to ask questions. People love talking about themselves. Help them do that. A basic rule of thumb is as follows: FORD. Family, occupation, recreation, and dreams. Ask about any one of these things to get a conversation going. Ask more about things you're interested in, and maybe change the subject if you feel it needs to be done (at an appropriate lull in the conversation, of course). If anybody has any questions, let me know. I'd be happy to offer more information.

TLDR: Go to events even if you're unsure if you'd enjoy them. Don't be afraid to talk to people, and follow the FORD formula if you think you have nothing to talk about.

To The Rescue

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Ive met most of my good friends in the last 3 years by becoming heavily involved in the animal rescue world. I wasn't expecting that to be the case but it just sort of happened and it's really made my social circle so much more varied and interesting

Join Up

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I joined the Navy and I made more friends and met more new people in the past 3 years than I have ever had in my entire life. I was and am an introvert but there's something about the military where people bond over common shitty experiences and put aside differences and accept one another.

Don't Try To Meet People

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Best advice my therapist gave me. Don't try to meet people (I'm have crazy social anxiety), but put yourself in situations where you will meet people. I took photography classes and drawing classes. Something I've always wanted to do (especially the drawing). So I wasn't meeting people I was learning to draw and asking questions and answering questions and.. << That's the way to do it.

Yay Church!

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I can't begin to explain to you the value of the relationships I hold in my church are. I'm close with dozens of people.

Get Drunk. Look Dumb. Make Friends.

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I'll preface by saying that I'm a guy who's nothing special to look at, and is usually pretty introverted. So, to start I put on my nicest clothes and got pretty drunk at home until I found the happy spot (where everything is great, but you're still mostly lucid) and then caught the train into town. I didn't know any places to go, so I talked to some other (drunk) people on the train and asked where they were headed. That in itself got me an invite to party with one group and I went with them to the first bar. The music at this bar was pretty heavy for me, so I made social media contact with some of the guys and wandered off.

Then I wandered into another bar with a lively pop dance floor, smashed a few drinks and embarrassed myself on the dance floor. Seriously. By looking like I was having a great time everyone assumed I was a fun person good at having a fun time. This led to some comments from people at the bar when I went to buy a drink which after a few runs turned into some decent conversations and introductions.

By this time of the night everyone was pretty lubed up and having a good time. Because I had become a conversation piece everyone kind of gravitated towards me for a convo. From there I got a few numbers and more social media contact.

Most of these contacts were never going to progress, but so far I've been to lunch once and have an upcoming drink session on the weekend. Again, I definitely got lucky, could still lead nowhere and it's not for everyone. But those are my 2 cents.

TL;DR Put on some nice clothes, get really drunk and have a great time at a bar BY YOURSELF. Others will come to you if you're fun.

Talk To Strangers

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Go outside. Talk to strangers. Treat people well.

If you go to a coffee shop often, chat briefly with the baristas. Ask them how their shift's going. Next time, ask if they did anything fun over the weekend. Be open to sharing real information about yourself if they return the conversation. Give it a few weeks and if you've developed any chemistry, you may have found a friend.

If you have a hobby, make an effort to go out to gatherings related to it. Say hello and introduce yourself to people you meet there. Be open to sharing real information about yourself if they return the conversation. Keep going back on a relatively frequent rate. Continue talking to people. If you think they're better than you at stuff, ask about it. If they're new, offer help. Participate and people will likely ask you about stuff that you do. Nearly every great friend I've met has come from some hobby.

Anywhere outside of your home will work. Dance classes. The gym. The arcade. A book store. Foreign language practice. Volunteer work. A school board. Talk to people. Be genuine. If you like them, keep talking. If they're boring or an ass, don't keep talking. You might click instantly. It might take years before you both open up enough to realize you'll be good friends. But nothing will ever happen if you don't fucking go outside and talk to strangers.

H/T: Reddit

Men Who've Gotten A Vasectomy Share Their Experiences

Reddit user GaleNotTheWind asked: 'Men of Reddit who have gotten a vasectomy, what was your experience?'

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Markus Winkler/Unsplash

According to the Cleveland Clinic, over 50 million men have had a vasectomy.

Although avoiding sexual intercourse is the only effective way to avoid pregnancy, the male birth control procedure still has a low failure rate.

Those who are apprehensive about having a vasectomy fear the following: pain, impact on sex life, effectiveness, and side effects like cancer. (The National Cancer Institute and the American Urological Association have found that the procedure does not increase the risk of prostate cancer).

To seek some reassurance, Redditor GaleNotTheWind asked:

"Men of Reddit who have gotten a vasectomy, what was your experience?"

Guys discuss what happened after the snipping.

Making Sure

"For the love of God, do the follow-up appointment. The last thing you want is to be accidentally playing with a loaded gun."

– sleepypanda59

Wise To Wait

"The paper work I got for mine which was done less than 2 weeks ago said that you could have sex 2-3 days after but... definitely said to wait another few days."

– SisterPhister666

Follow Post-Surgical Procedures Or Else

"Had it done twice while living in Japan no less. Why twice? The first one failed."

"... apparently, so did the second (says my now 6 year old daughter)."

– shoelessmarcelshell

These men found that the procedure itself wasn't a big deal.

Assurance

"I was super anxious, but I had a great procedure. I was more freaked out about the shot of numbing agent to the balls, but it was legit nothing to worry about."

– Reddit

Normal In No Time

"Little operation, blue balls and no wanking for a week, then back to normal but without getting anyone pregnant."

– Bright_Composer_3901

"Made the mistake of having a pop after a couple of days. Jesus, the regret."

– Alante

Best Money Ever Spent

"When I woke up after the anesthesia - yes I asked to be put under, best $55 (after insurance) I ever spent - the caffeine headache I had upon waking was the most painful part. The preoperative instructions were nothing but water the evening before, no water for 4 hours before going under. The Safeway brand cola that the angel aftercare nurse brought me was pure refreshment."

– HarrumphingDuck

Cherry On Top

"Local anesthesia stings for a second or two then all you can feel is tugging after all is done the pain I would describe is like blue balls for like 2 days tops. I took a week off work recommend by doctor since I’m a construction worker and the heavy lifting but I felt like after day 3 I was good to go. Cons: minor pain discomfort, no hanky panky until last semen sample came out clear. Pros: , no unplanned pregnancies(it’s still possible very rarely)."

– Secure_Requirement84

Some final thoughts.

Only Pros

"To me, the only bad part was the smell of the cauterization of my vas deferens.. the procedure was fine. Local anesthesia before and during just felt slight tugging no pain. Recovery was easy. No pain. No cons. Only pros. And if absolutely need be it’s reversible. Much easier and less invasive than a woman getting her tubes tied and significantly less harmful than birth control. I’m an advocate. Get it done!"

– PunchARacist

One Unsettling Thing

"For me, it wasn’t the smell but watching the little puffs of smoke during the cauterization. That was truly and deeply unsettling."

"Otherwise, yeah, nothing major to report. Stayed in bed for a day watching old horror movies and assembling a Lego plant. Pretty much business as usual after that."

– GuestCartographer

The One Constant

"Got a vasectomy, it worked. Got it reversed, that worked.... twice Got another vasectomy...17 years later, all good. Just go to a legit great Dr. I mean top of the field Dr. For ANY messsin around down there. Vasectomy is WAY easier now than 25-30 years ago. In/out in an hour... The only thing that hasn't changed? ... The bag of frozen peas ..😂"

– richwat00

Vasectomies are performed via two methods, the incision vasectomy or a no-scalpel vasectomy, and both use local anesthesia to numb the scrotum.

Always consult a healthcare provider before undergoing the procedure and–most importantly–make sure you don't want to have children or that you and your spouse don't want to add additional family members.

Based on the anecdotes above, there's nothing to fear, so feel free to man up and get to snipping.

gray conveyor between glass frames at nighttime
Tomasz Frankowski on Unsplash

I've always enjoyed a good scare on film and my Mother indulged my preferences as she also loved a good horror film.

While we thoroughly enjoyed a good Disney movie together, I was also allowed to watch Jaws, The Exorcist and The Omen before I was 10 years old.

Slashers and sci-fi frights were good, but to me the most effective scares involved nightmarish scenarios that might easily happen in the not so distant future.

For me, growing up Roman Catholic meant demonic possession and the AntiChrist were on the list of plausible fears.

But what films offered possible Hellscapes for others?

Keep reading...Show less
wedding bands on dictionary
Sandy Millar on Unsplash

Infidelity in marriages isn't as widespread as people think. While some cynics would have us believe faithful partners are scarce, they account for over 4 out of 5 spouses.

Still, 16% of married couples in the United States admitted to being unfaithful at some point in their marriage.

And 57% of divorces were due to cheating.

In marriages where infidelity occurs, but doesn't result in divorce, the loss of trust is still a problem. It can make emotional and physical intimacy challenging.

So why do people cheat instead of ending their relationship before moving on?

Keep reading...Show less
shallow photography of man hugging woman outdoors
Photo by freestocks on Unsplash

When it comes to flirting, everyone has their preferences of how they like to be flirted with. Some people like cleverly crafted pickup lines.

I always thought pickup lines were a cheap way to get someone's attention. That being said, there are some good ones out there. I've been on the receiving end of both. "On a scale from one to America, how free are you tonight?" and, "You must be the square root of two because I feel irrational around you."

Both got me to engage in conversation, and I even dated the guy who used the first one for a while.

I'm not the only one that knows some good pickup lines. Redditors have both heard and used some pickup lines and are eager to share their favorites.

It all started when Redditor Sauce_Dealer420 asked:

"What's the best pickup line of all time?"

Read It And See

"You put the sexy in dyslexic."

– koookyko

"This made me laugh so hard."

"Because I can read properly."

– TappedIn2111

I'm Hooked

"This girl I used to work with and I went to a bar after work and we’re having fun, and she leans over to tell me a joke. And she says:"

"Three boy mice and a girl mouse were all stuck in a room with no doors and no windows. One of the boy mice asked the girl mouse how to get out and she said, “Sleep with me tonight, and I’ll tell you in the morning.""

"The next day, he is gone. The second boy mouse asks the girl mouse how he got out and she says, “Sleep with me tonight, and I’ll tell you in the morning.""

"Next day, he’s gone too."

"So now the girl telling me this joke says to me, “Do you want to know how the last mouse gets out of the box?”

"And I say “yes.""

"And she says, “Sleep with ME tonight, and I’ll tell you in the morning”. All this while staring me in the eyes and smiling."

"I said, “Check please bartender!!""

"I forgot to ask her in the morning, but that was the best pickup line I’ve ever heard."

– reb678

Statistics

"The odds we sleep together are 50% because half of us agree so far."

– AlfheimKitteh

"Math is always super sexy."

– Acceptable-News-6811

Money, Money, Money

"Hey girl, are you the English financial system? Because I'm about to give you a weak pound."

– onemanwolfpack21

"Yo girl, do you know exchange rates? Because Euro 10."

– kkirchhoff

Winner, Winner

""Are you a magician? Cuz every time I look at you, everyone else disappears.""

"This line got me a wife and three kids. 😊"

– PRSHZ

One Liners

"Are you a beaver? Cuz damn."

– Starry_Night-

"If you were a fruit you'd be a fineapple."

– Slainna

"Hi, do you want to go for a ride on a Harley?"

"(My name is Harley) 😁"

– OMNIxvTRIX

No Losers

"If I asked you for a date would the answer to that question be the same as the answer to this question?"

– SchemePale6222

"I got blue screen in my head."

"Explain please."

– TastyToothpasta

"You can't lose. Say no, the answer is yes. Say yes, the answer is also yes."

"Dang sounds kinda creepy writing it out like that. Still clever wordplay though."

– Steeze_Schralper6968

Clever

"My go-to was always:"

"I used to be a history teacher, so I know lots of important dates. Want to help me make another one?"

"A little corny, but it usually worked."

– StuffToday

Refreshing

"That one actually worked with my ex on the first try."

"-Hey, do you like water?"

"-Yes."

"-Then you like me in 70% already."

– azurskyy

Sneaky

"Would you date a complete stranger?"

"If she says “yes” you’re in."

If she says “no.”

“Then allow me to introduce myself.”"

– Blastspark01

Playing Coy

"Once a girl came to me and told there was somebody who thought I was cute."

"I asked her who and she said “Me.""

– evil_boy4life

Prop Lines

"You have to have a handful of limes available to do this:"

"Hold the limes, drop the limes in front of the lucky person. Then say 'Sorry, I'm not very good at pick up limes.'"

– cannibalcats

Egg-cellent

"Best one that worked for me was:"

"Me: How do you like your eggs?"

"Her: Over easy, why?"

"Me: Just making sure I have things right for when I make you breakfast in the morning."

– Radiant_Boss4342

The Best Line

"How you doin?"

– 2x4x93

"There was a time when this was the ONLY line you could use!"

– JohnsLong_Silver

That line would definitely work on me!