Improve Your Friendships
Friends are some of the best things in life. But sometimes we want to be more than just an occasional friend or acquaintance. We want to be a best friend! So whether it's gaining a new friend or improving an already made friendship, there's always a way to gain a new best friend!
Steps
New Friends
- Find someone who seems to have similar interests and just start texting them or IM-ing them concerning these subjects,not like you're already best friends, but just a little short message. These small chats could start a wonderful friendship!
- Talk in person once in a while, not just on IM or texting. Talking in person helps friendships grow even more. It may not be as easy to talk to them in this manner, but it will get easier!
- Make plans with them and take them places, and do things with them.
- Decide if it is friendship or not. If you seem annoying -- just back off a little, and keep talking to them, but not as much. You'll get there someday if you both have a similar line of thought!
Friendships
- Continue improving it: Once you have made a friend, you need to keep that friendship until it becomes a best friendship!
- Call them up! Now that you're friends, just call them, saying, "Hey, I'm bored. What are you doing?" Just random talk helps.
- Do crazy stuff with them! Go walking at night, or jump in the shallow pool at a very familiar place -- as if it is just out of nowhere, with your clothes on! Make sure that you kick off shoes and have no papers in your pockets to ruin, "Practice it and stick to rather shallow water!" (that you can stand up in): Wet clothes can be very heavy and shoes are almost impossible to swim in!
- Tell them some little secrets. Your friends needs to know that they have your trust. Tell them a bigger secret and say, "I just needed to blab, you won't tell anyone right?" Hopefully, they will say, "No!"
- Hang out with them; you don't always have to make noise. Go relax at the pool, you don't have to talk, just sit back. Maybe making some small talk, that's not a big deal. You could go to the mall, walk and browse and joke about clothes and other stuff in store windows, or go to a sports game, or watch TV (but of course it has to be their choice of shows, or skip it if they show no interest...).
- Decide whether they are your Best Friends: If somebody were to ask you right now, "Who is your best friend?" Would you say this or that certain person is one of them? If so, you have successfully made a best friend! If not, keep trying!
Tips
- Don't be boring! Smile. Laugh. Use small expressions while listening such as: "What?" "Hey?" "Really!" "Oh." "Hmm..." to show you are interested and contributing, in a random and offbeat way, not always completing sentences, not being perfect!
- Compliment them on simple stuff (not too personal) and say why that impressed you to be sincere, but not more than twice, then you come off as being 'pathetic' or 'needy'.
- Let the line of thought drop/change subjects -- but then go back to their point and laugh at yourself for changing it. Keep it fun and relaxed. Apologizes easily, but not in a serious way. "Sorry." (They ask: "About what?") "Oh, nothing." "Never mind."
- It's a good idea to try to make two friends who are already friends at the same time -- to see whether they are open or closed off. If "not" open to others, then keep being friendly, but not intruding too much.
Warnings
- Do not talk rudely about each other, if you truly want to be friends. Mild joking is okay, but not meanness. Accept their weaknesses without picking them apart or "dissing", and they'll learn to accept yours.
- Talking may be awkward at first, but try finding topics in which you are both interested. Then let common interests naturally develop into comfortable conversation (not dominating topics or "needling" their points of view).
