I was also incredibly shy (and still am a bit when meeting new people) and had to work hard at overcoming this in order to make friends. To be honest, I'm not e

I was also incredibly shy (and still am a bit when meeting new people) and had to work hard at overcoming this in order to make friends. To be honest, I'm not even sure if I'm doing better but I do know that my circle of friends is much, much, bigger now. It helps a lot to find a niche, or a group of people with similar interests. I find it very hard to relate to people who I do not share interests with and thus it makes it incredibly difficult to continue onwards with a friendship. I managed to meet a lot of my friends in the industry (design/development/tech world) but there are a handful that I've picked up along the way through hobbies I've kept. Here's what helped me: - I went out to places I wouldn't normally go to and learned how to keep conversation with a stranger by myself. This is important. I cannot stress how important this is. It not only taught me how to have 'small talk' but it also taught me how to get over the initial hump of starting a conversation. I am not overly aggressive about this, so you don't have to feel like this is an overwhelming task. I practice on cab drivers as well, as the quieter environment makes it easier for me to pay attention to what they're saying. - I learned how to talk about the other person more than I talked about myself. When they ask about me, I typically lightly defer the conversation and try to bring it back around to them. This generally keeps the conversation going, and helps them feel good about themselves as well. - I proactively found meet-ups with people who I shared interests with. (At the time, I was heavy into photography and I maintained those friendships from that time.) - I put a lot of effort into getting to know my current friends better or maintaining the friendships that I do have. This is also important. I put my friends above all else. - I tried new things, and are still trying new things. Typically if there's an activity I haven't tried, but always thought I wanted to, I just went out to do it! I have an eclectic circle of friends because of this. - Try to relax in social situations. If they don't like you immediately, there are tons of people in the world that will warm up to you quicker. Don't think of every person as the 'end goal.' - Don't worry about the girl(s). I know it's lonely, but seriously–don't! Work on yourself, and you'll be surprised how many opportunities arise from that. That's all I got, I'm working on it. Everything takes time, including this.