How do you make new friends?
Making new friends later in life can be quite challenging. You may remember when as a child you just walked up to someone to play in the sandbox together. Unfortunately, as an adult that is something different. In fact, we think too much and there are all kinds of social rules that we want or have to adhere to. All in all, making new friends hasn't gotten any easier. But when you're looking for a new friendship, what's the best way to go about it?
When you have a job, you often also have colleagues. You may have a better relationship with one colleague than another and sometimes there is just a really good click. When you notice that, your bond as colleagues could develop into a friendship. Maybe you have a shared interest, movies for example. Invite your colleague to go see that movie you've been talking about in the cinema together. You can also use a department outing to learn more about a colleague and end up in the friend zone over time.
When you start talking to someone, try to find a common interest. It could be anything. Maybe you like the same music, watch football every Sunday or like to read books. Use that shared interest. It is important that you mainly listen to what the other has to say. Everyone likes to be heard, so strike a balance between talking about yourself and listening to what the other person has to say.
So you can find friends at work, for example, but the sports club or your hobby can also be a good starting point for a friendship. And when you're just open and genuinely interested in the other person, you'll find that people often find this refreshing. Nowadays everyone lives a bit of their own life, so when you give someone all your attention, it is generally experienced as very positive.
Last tip: if you know that your new neighbor loves apple pie: bake that apple pie and go along with it. There is a good chance that you will be invited for a cup of coffee or tea to enjoy that cake together. And so the first impetus is set for a good conversation with which you may make a new friend. Good luck!
Joinby = NOT tinder for friends
Everyone needs real connection. From research In fact, it turns out that the quality of your relationships is the most important predictor of a long and happy life. However, you don't just make good friends: it takes time and you first have to find those people who really like you. But how and where do you find it if, for example, you have moved or your old group of friends is short on time?
With Joinby we want to make it easy to get in touch with people in your own area with the same interests/age. We see this contact purely as a first step: to really build something, you can't just stay online. We do not believe that 'swiping' friendships or just 'matching interests' works: you can have so much in common on paper, but you can in an actual meeting. That is why we aim to really bring people together to do something (new) together that you enjoy.
We hope that everyone dares to take the step to do something and meet new people. Not with the expectation that a friendship will arise from every meeting, but to discover the diversity of people and to do fun things. And if you're very lucky, you might meet people you really click with. And remember: “The only way to have a friend is to be one.”