Oooooh ghosthunter private events! If you can get rid of the Ebola, that is, lest the attendees become ghosts themselves...
So, I sign up on meetup.com and browse groups. I find people with similar interests, so I post on the discussion asking if anyone would like to get in touch and do some of those things. Next thing I know I get a message from a meetup organiser saying that it's against the site's rules to attempt to meet anyone online. WTF!?
They probably meant arranging 1:1 meetings outside of the group. Meetup.com is for meeting in groups, and they probably thought you were trying to arrange to meet people privately.
People tell me that friendship cannot be forced - how does one make friends without seeming forceful and desparate?
Dunno, I usually need people to adopt me. Keep 'em drugged up on a healthy dose of mdma maybe? They'll love you and probably won't notice your desperation... you'd have to make sure they don't get dehydrated though.
I want to moan 'why people have to make dumbass comments instead of giving advice?' but I'm too busy pondering over what you just said.
Well, at least the first part of my answer was honest. I'm introverted and rarely try to make friends actively. I usually wait for people to signal me that they don't hate my guts and want me to go walk down a cliff. It helps to be a kind person, I guess? Not being selfish or offensive? People like to talk about themselves but they don't like to be questioned either, so show interest in them but also make sure you share bits an pieces about yourself equally. Initiate some interactions but when someone doesn't want to, respect that and don't push them. Offer your help without expecting something back but don't try to force yourself into someone else's personal affairs. In general: don't be a dick. Also, I beg to differ - my comment wasn't dumbass but high-quality comedy.
The short version is be a nice guy (or girl) , don't come over as needy and desperate... its basically like dating but without the sex (usually). Most of my friends are people I've worked with, or met through other interest groups. Some are online friends that I then met offline -hey I see you're in town on saturday do you want to meet for a coffee/beer/meal/no strings fuck (may be not the last one). A couple are exes I've stayed in contact with despite us both being with other people. Some are friends of partners who I've then adopted (and in some cases then survived the break up with said partner)… my ex Belinda accused me of 'stealing her friends' when we split (but then she was as mad as a box of frogs).
Brave Sir, I shall smite you witless with my lackwittery, so prepare to be outwitted and, by rule of fairness, outfitted with the Official Cap of Dumbfuckery! ^ the reason I don't do poetry
Meetup with people with whom you share a base common interest. Like on here with writing. Once that base interest is settled, you move onto other conversations, see what else you have in common and poof, friendzies. Or you could just befriend corpses. They're really easy to talk to, but goddammit they don't like talking back.
