When you’re confident and comfortable in your own company, it becomes easier to talk to strangers, reach out first, and make plans repeatedly. That’s what builds friendship, whether you’re moving to a new city or just facing a social dry spell.

We are suffering from a loneliness epidemic. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you.

Depending on whom you talk to, some might even tell you we’re suffering from a male loneliness epidemic, specifically.

Whether we let men claim loneliness as their own personal plight or evaluate the larger spectrum of adult relationships, the present and future states of friendship look bleak:

• People are making fewer friends. In 1990, one-third of Americans said they had 10 or more close friends. In 2021, just 13% said the same. Even worse, in 1990, only 3% said they had no friends. In 2021, 12% of Americans said they have no friends, per the Survey Center on American Life.
• They’re going to fewer social gatherings. “Only 4.1% of Americans attended or hosted a social event on an average weekend or holiday in 2023—that’s a 35% drop from 2004, says The Atlantic.
• They’re having less sex. “…researchers have become alarmed at declines in sexual activity around the world, from Japan to Europe to Australia,” explains Scientific American.

And this isn’t just a problem with “the kids these days.” Across genders and generations, people everywhere are struggling to make new friends.

In this post, I share four truths on how to make new friends as an adult—and why learning to get confident and comfortable in your own company will actually help you make more friends.

MORE ARTICLES ON THE LONER MINDSET

• ​Quotes About Feeling Alone to Remind Us We’re Each Steering Our Own Ship​
• ​How to Enjoy Your Own Company​
• ​How to Get Better at Doing Things Alone​

To putting yourself out there,

Merry

NOW GO ON YOUR MERRY WAY...

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