This advice is perfect. Initially (and perhaps always) it is all about the quantity. I have a friend who went from having just a few geeky friends (including me

This advice is perfect. Initially (and perhaps always) it is all about the quantity. I have a friend who went from having just a few geeky friends (including me right) to a thriving social life. He wanted to get a girlfriend so he gave it his all for two years. He read things like 'The Game' and cold started hundreds of conversations with strangers. Don't let people convince you that it's weird or that this should come natural. In the modern world something like 80% of people are lonely, even if they have a partner they might fully dissociated from friends. Being social is not the norm and it takes effort to break from the norm. Also, and this is just my personal opinion, don't let people convince you that reading literature about this is wrong. Every single book will tell you going out and meeting people is the most important activity, but books like 'The Game' give you tips and tricks on how to overcome anxiety and get more out of your efforts. Don't shirk the pick up artist community, just don't drink the koolaid and start believing oneitis is the bane of existence or that it's OK to insult women. It's actually a great resource if you can look past that. Anyway, if you want to make this happen fast, make it your full time job. Literally invest 40 hours per week into it. It's what the popular kids did back in highschool, and now you're behind. Edit: oh forgot, my personal favorite book is 'how to talk to anyone', by Leil something. It's a short book with reminders about social interaction.