like you know you’re a good person at heart but life circumstances and trauma and bullying and etc prevented you from learning the proper social skills to find companionship. not necessarily a forum to actually find friends (i find going into things with that intention feels fake and weird), but rather a forum to commiserate and share advice and coping mechanisms and so on.
loneliness is increasing worldwide, esp in men. and it’s very easy to get into the weeds on this of course…
happy fuckin holidays
The easiest way to make friends (and this is no easy task if you’re an adult) is to revolve it around hobbies. Find people who share the same interests and conversation is easier if there is something to talk about. This can be online or in person. For example, there are weekly DnD games that happen at local game stores, or book reading clubs, or take a woodworking class at a local college, or find a forum that is all about one niche subject you’re into. If you don’t have hobbies then you have to find something to try, and just try everything you can to see what you are into.
As a once socially inept kid who was bullied mercilessly, social skills are something that takes practice. For me, changing schools, taking up a sport, and getting a job where I had to socialize with people is where I learned to socialize. There were a lot of very awkward conversations, but eventually you figure out what works and what doesn’t.
Came here to say this. Friendship will develop naturally if you have a hobby in common. Takes the weirdness away, gives you something to talk about.
Meetup.com is very useful