How to meet people?

[A Recycled Light]

What are some creative ways to meet new people? Where can you go? What steps can you take in order to establish relationships with these new people?

There are a few variables. Meeting people in high school/college is out of the question. Bars and anything involving alcohol or drugs is also out of the question. Also, please don't include coworkers since you are basically forced to socialize with them.

Good luck.

[nxomsa]

• book club (check your local library)
• faith based org
• meetup.com
• sign up for a class
• volunteer
• does your town have any social groups?

[Living2xcess]

I am a person who use to suffer (and still do to some sorts) from Social Anxiety. Meeting people was very hard for me.

I found hundreds of ways to meet people and really thats what you need to do. Use your imagination and list as many possible ways as possible to meet people. I feel when you are brainstorming, your best answers come after you have come up with all obvious answers and start thinking really crazy to reach 100+ answers.

I have found just staying outside and saying hi to everybody has cause me to make many friends. It took a long time, but when I am about people recognize me because I said hi to them 2 or 3 times. If you live in an apartment complex, reading your mail in the lobby or by the mail boxes always helps meet your neighbors. Hanging out at the front desk counters of your favorite hangouts eventually leads you to become friends with the employees of your hangouts, and consequently their friends also.

Meetup groups, support groups, having frequent barbecues allowing friends to invite friends, riding up and down elevators (ha that really works too). Going to the Gym and interacting with people.

The thing is, if you put yourself out in front of people and say hi, eventually you will have a huge amount of friends.

[nxomsa]

and another: join a sports team

[Angelique]

What kind of people do you want to meet?

[Ryan OLoughlin]

most have alreayd been said but you can google what you are interested in and meet people that way. so you are interesting in racquetball and you live in austin texas:

"Racquetball clubs near Austin TX" is what you can Google. Things like that. Or join toastmasters as well, you meet lots of people there. Or a club of some sort. Bascially, use your creativity, you can meet people almost anywhere.

[Cochonette]

Going to events with the same large group/crowd is a good way to always be meeting new people, I find. That and college, but you said that's out of the question.

[A Recycled Light]

I really appreciate all of your suggestions, thank you. Some things I have already thought about, but not others.

@Cochonette: Going to events might be difficult for me, since I dislike being in large groups, but if the event was something I was very interested in I would probably consider it. This is definitely something I will try in the near future. The reason college is out of the question is because I have already gone and may or may not be going back. I thought about going to college again for the sole purpose of meeting people my age, but I figure I shouldn't have to pay so much money if only to make friends. If I do go back to college, it will be because I can actually afford to go and want to learn something. Meeting people would just be a perk at that point.

@Ryan OLoughlin: I have thought about joining an anime club, so that would be something I could try. I think a club would be good. I haven't heard of toastmasters, but I will be sure to look it up.

@Angelique: I want to meet people that I can talk about deep things with. Not just "Hi, how's the weather?" I would really like to meet anyone that I can have meaningful conversations with. People that are intelligent and interesting and hopefully around my age (under 30).

@nxomsa: I was thinking about taking some martial arts classes at a gym (I am interested in fitness, not so much sports, per say). I didn't really think about meeting people there because I guess I assumed that most of them would be older men and that we would not have anything in common. Perhaps it is wrong of me to have that opinion without giving it a shot. I will also try your other suggestions. The book club sounds like something I would like. Also, I'm not sure if my town has any social groups (it's a bit of a hick town), but I live about 30 minutes from a college town so I'll bet they have clubs and social gatherings I could attend there.

@Living2xcess: Your advice was very helpful. Thank you for sharing. I will consider what you said and apply it to my situation.

Again, thanks to everyone who replied. I really do appreciate your willingness to help and support me. You have all been very helpful so far!

[neilward2]

I wrote this page a while ago:

How To Be More Social

Enjoy!

[Bricona]

You could meet people anywhere, all you need to do is be able to keep their interest.

Keeping someone's interest is a long reply to another thread. The point I was trying to make was that you could honestly meet people everywhere. I do it. I use to do it a lot more.

If you want, you could read me blog; the link is situated in my signature. I blog about attractive personalities and breaking the laws of social interaction. I checked out Neil Ward from the comment above mine. He has some great stuff, you should check that out too. I actually write about a more general topic then I presume he does.
He still has commendable stuff.

[Lifeisamazing]

Originally Posted by Living2xcess

Going to the Gym and interacting with people.

I find this one very difficult. I'd like to interact with those people a lot because they have likely established a similar lifestyle like mine and are in general like-minded, however, I'm in the gym to work. I rest close to one minute between sets and that time goes for moving from one side of the weight room to the other or for changing the load or for writing in my training notebook. How can I interact during my workout? It's not possible, nor would I like to jeopardize my training. So I believe a better approach to meeting fitness and health oriented people can be in a health store or in fitness/nutrition/health seminars.

[GregLane]

There are many sites you can join solely for meeting up with people (not dating sites or anything of that nature) - one where people meet up for cinemas, coffees etc is Meet People | Make Friends | Drinking Partners. You've got to put some work into this, like anything, but many members of these sites claim to be able to meet up with many new people in as little as 24hrs after initial contact - always though meet in a safe, busy place until you get to know a person and always let someone know where you are going!

[ssandra]

Originally Posted by Lifeisamazing

I find this one very difficult. I'd like to interact with those people a lot because they have likely established a similar lifestyle like mine and are in general like-minded, however, I'm in the gym to work. I rest close to one minute between sets and that time goes for moving from one side of the weight room to the other or for changing the load or for writing in my training notebook. How can I interact during my workout? It's not possible, nor would I like to jeopardize my training. So I believe a better approach to meeting fitness and health oriented people can be in a health store or in fitness/nutrition/health seminars.

You could always meet people in the bar of the gym, before your workout, right after your workout, in the locker room etc.

Does it really compromise your training/workout if you take a 3 minute break between sets or between the different exercises instead of 1 minute?

[Lifeisamazing]

Originally Posted by ssandra

You could always meet people in the bar of the gym, before your workout, right after your workout, in the locker room etc.

Does it really compromise your training/workout if you take a 3 minute break between sets or between the different exercises instead of 1 minute?

Yes, it does. However, if you know how to make great contacts in three minutes, teach me.

Yes, you can do that in the locker room, true.

[Brutha]

You don't have to drink alcohol or take drugs when you go to bars.

[NDN Scholar]

Originally Posted by Brutha

You don't have to drink alcohol or take drugs when you go to bars.

Fo' sho. And nobody will judge you for it, because a significant number of people don't drink at bars, either because they are designated drivers or just don't drink. Some places offer free coke/pepsi if you identify as a designated driver. And if you do decide to drink, it doesn't have to be binge drinking. I myself am certainly no binge drinker, but a couple cold beers at the end of the week, sorrounded by my friends and beautiful women, is very satisfying. Like the cherry on top of the milkshake, so to speak.

[Cochonette]

omg. I met so many people tonight. Today was a long day, with 12 hours of events. I went to the Green Festival, and there I saw a lot of people I knew or recognized. Twas cool, but I didn't really meet anyone new, sadly. I hung out with a friend who I see at various events like this one. Other than that, not much. I did see this one person who I recognized but hadn't really spoken to, so I was like, "You were at such-and-such event, right?" and tried to chat a bit, but it didn't seem that interesting.

After that was a vegetarian potluck, which I stayed at for over four hours. It was AWESOME. I didn't know how it would be, but wow. It was way better than the last two networking events, and not even technically a networking event. People were really friendly and outgoing, and there were over 70 people throughout the night (Jesus!). I saw a few people I knew, one I met at another networking event, one I met at a conference, one I met at an open house... and a couple of people told me they recognized me from where I work (vegetarian restaurant). I met an interesting comedian and some (straight?) girl who seemed to be hitting on me and... it was a really professional crowd, all 20s and 30s.

I found out about this group through Craigslist just a week or so ago. So it turns out Craigslist doesn't have to be that sketchy and can be a GRRREAT way to meet people!

[ginkgo]

This is awesome. Try to see if they have something like this near you. How about meeting people that are looking to meet others and also have an interest in a particular thing that you are interested in. Meetup.com has dozens of groups around here with interests in many different things. Anyone can start up their own group.

[Eduard E]

I wrote an article on this recently: How to Meet New People and Make New Friends|People Skills Decoded

[Angelique]

Originally Posted by A Recycled Light

@Angelique: I want to meet people that I can talk about deep things with. Not just "Hi, how's the weather?" I would really like to meet anyone that I can have meaningful conversations with. People that are intelligent and interesting and hopefully around my age (under 30).

This is still a little vague. What kind of deep things are you seeking? Describe the conversations you would like to have. Any specific topics?

Originally Posted by Lifeisamazing

I find this one very difficult. I'd like to interact with those people a lot because they have likely established a similar lifestyle like mine and are in general like-minded, however, I'm in the gym to work. I rest close to one minute between sets and that time goes for moving from one side of the weight room to the other or for changing the load or for writing in my training notebook. How can I interact during my workout? It's not possible, nor would I like to jeopardize my training. So I believe a better approach to meeting fitness and health oriented people can be in a health store or in fitness/nutrition/health seminars.

You could put a post up on Craigslist.

Or you could squeeze in "social workouts" where you focus mainly on socializing, less on actual training. If you don't have time for that you could just add in 10-15 minutes at the end of your workouts to start conversations with people at the gym.

You could even try one of the many classes (if they have them where you're at), they seem to be great for making friends.