Q&A for How to Make Friends when You Are Not Social

This just means you need to work on good communication skills. It's okay to not be able to say the first word, but something as simple as a "Hello" or "How's your day" can change everything. Start small and see where the conversation goes.

Hopefully the person will give you a second chance. Show your sense of humor with a little self-deprecation. For example, if an awkward silence ensues after your failed joke, say something like, "It sounded funny in my head!" or "Wow, that wasn't funny at all." Such a remark shows the person or group that you read their responses and know that your joke fell flat. If you offended someone or hurt their feelings, just apologize.

Maybe you could suggest doing another activity together outside of the house, like going to a movie or the park. If they still refuse, maybe you should try to make new friends who share more of your interests.

Be yourself, and don't be shy! Go talk to the people and show them what you are like! Try not to be needy, just be friendly. If they have a rude or mean response, don't try so hard. Do you really want to be friends with mean or rude people? Don't worry if it doesn't work out with this group, you'll find somewhere you fit in.

You should speak with your parents, your teacher, and/or the head of the school about the racism and discrimination you are experiencing in school. Don't keep this to yourself. Also, you could try participating in activities outside of school that will help you meet new people and make new friends.

The best thing to do is just steel yourself and walk up to somebody who seems nice and doesn't seem to have trouble keeping a conversation going. Introduce yourself, and something great could happen.

Just be yourself. And, remember, if these people don't like you for you, don't try so hard. Just be outgoing, nice, kind, trustworthy, reliable and yourself. You have nothing to lose.

Try joining some extracurricular clubs and activities; they're great ways to meet new people. Always be friendly and approachable. Don't try too hard to fit in with people you don't match, and the right friends will come to you.

I'm like this, and the best piece of advice I can give you is to try to cut down on negativity. This includes jokes and humor. I always had a very sarcastic sense of humor and would make jokes at others' expense. This pushes people away, as it makes you look disingenuous and generally nasty. If you struggle with a low mood, I advise to push yourself into new situations, not necessarily social ones, but just do something like go outside, or do something you enjoy, like swimming or photography, but avoid staying in your house when you do them. It will be hard at first, but when your mood improves, your social skills will most likely improve too.

In order to communicate better with people and keep a long-lasting friendship, you just need to walk up to them and speak. You'll need to be confident. The best thing to do is to say in your mind, "I can do this. I'm going to be strong."

I am sure they are not ignoring you because of your weight because otherwise they wouldn't have been friends with you in the first place. Sometimes kids are cruel for no reason, that can be hard. Focus on all of your good qualities and try to make new friends. There are plenty of people out there who would be happy to get to know you.

Baby steps are the best way. Start off by asking simple things. Yes, you may go red in the face and your voice may go off, but this is because you're inexperienced in a way. You just need to find your voice.

Change! Be the one to start this conversation and feel empowered because you did something that was uncomfortable for you. Few good things happen in life without some risk being taken. Introduce yourself, and ask her questions (ex. What's your favorite song?). But do not ask too many questions at once, or she might feel like she's being interviewed.

Talk about experiences that you both went through. If he goes to your school, bring up a class or project that you guys did at school that day. That may help break the ice a little.

Silence builds friendship. Embrace the fact that you don't always have to talk. Listening, too, builds friendship. Think back to something your friends told you about a week ago and ask a follow up question, no matter how trivial. Was someone's sister getting a haircut? Ask how that worked out, and listen to their story.

Find an opportunity, and try to talk to someone new. I made a friend from doing a math problem for them (sounds odd, I know).

Just say, "Hey" and ask them a few benign questions like where they go to school, what's a great place to eat around town, etc. Once a conversation starts up, ask them questions about themselves and go from there.

Email him back saying, "Hi, just reaching out to see if you got my last email. Hope all is well." If he still doesn't respond, it would be best to just move on.

Instead of waiting for them to come to you, try going up to them and starting a friendly conversation. After a while they will stop excluding you. Or find a new friend who will treat you properly.

Well, look into getting your license so you can be independent. In the meantime, you can ask someone to drop you off downtown and spend the day going to the library, hanging out in coffee shops, window shopping, etc. Or you can start a new hobby at home.

Challenge yourself to do one social thing a day, even if it is as small as saying "hello" to someone new. Over time, it will get easier.

It doesn't matter if it's the middle of the school year, the beginning of the school year, or the summer -- gaining some friends is always the same. You need to be open to other peoples thoughts, and then they'll at least start to like you. Then you should let them get to know who you are. Ask them if the want to hang out or do something you like (while not forcing them into doing something they don't want to do).

Do what you're into and let people come to you. After that make conversation and be active.

You are not necessarily doing anything wrong. Try starting up a conversation that you think people will be interested in, and be patient.

Practice making a more "open" and friendly facial expression. Eyebrows have a lot to do with expression, so if your eyebrows are untrimmed or have an angry appearance, you will too. Try smiling a lot and trying to get closer to people. And make sure you have a good posture.

Keep trying. Step out of your comfort zone and talk to more people. It's great to be yourself, but if your "self" is super shy and too scared to talk to anyone, you're probably not going to make any friends.

Try starting conversations with lots of different people, or join a club that suits your interests. When talking to people, try not to interrupt them, and just be nice. Soon enough you will find someone you will like (and hopefully they will like you too!).

Figure out which friend group that you would want to be in, and which friend group seems nice. Try to join in on their conversations, and become friends with some of the people in the group, especially if you have any classes with them. Also, join some clubs, or sports teams if you're athletic.

The best way to make friends is simple. Talk! Put yourself out there. If you choose the right friend group, all things will be good. Talking to a friend definitely beats being alone.

Every time you go outside is an opportunity. Meet the neighbors, talk to people at school (if you go to school), and when doing sport or other shared activities. You will have friends in no time.