You have several paths. If you're starting out then it's a good idea to warm up your mind before pushing yourself into approaching strangers. This video ('5,000 Conversations') on my channel is worth a watch in regards to these steps (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-1nc1nfLCJn8.html). The practice of having a single, 1 minute conversation a day, will take you really far. However, perfect practice makes perfect, which is why the steps in the video are so important. It's not enough to simply approach hundreds of people; although that can help provide some initial personal growth. Mastery comes from quality over quantity. Another really good way is to incorporate conversations into your lifestyle. Get out of the house: find a hobby, take a class or sales job where you will be socially interacting with others because you're essentially getting free training. I used to work in a cinema and that gave me lots of practice (and er, free films!)
Okay so this is great and I love the videos. I've honestly followed this channel since 2013 and am actually quite adept socially now and have a really good ability to make friends. But I moved city about a year ago and my relationship recently ended so now I realise I have so few friends here. I'm only good at making friends when it's the "right" time in a room together or forced to talk. I really want to just meet people and say hi but the only thing holding me back is the "what if they react badly" thought.. I even get weird thoughts like "what if they get aggressive" which is stupid really but it stops me from talking to people. You talked a lot about courage in the last video which is definitely a barrier I need (and WANT) to overcome. Regardless, I used to be a really socially awkward guy and now I feel comfortable as myself and I embrace being weird; and your videos helped so much with this so thank you.
Thank you for taking the time to share your story. I'm really happy you've developed your skills: well done! I used to have that voice too ('what if they react badly') so now I ask myself "I wonder would happen if I said Hi?". You'll only ever experience a 'bad' reaction if you break someone's personal boundaries/ values. In polite society, that's actually quite tough to do, even if you're goofing around. To get your social life back on track, find some sports or hobbies where you can attend a weekly class. It'll provide a social base from where you restart your growth. Keep it up!
If I can add to this I would say it’s good to have a reason It can be a stupid reason and a good place to get creative Like you both noticed the same thing doesn’t matter if your interpretation is the same, it’s still relevant
