Tips On How to Socialize, Be Funny and Make Friends

• Don't try to be someone you're not. Just act calm and don't say anything out of the blue. If you want to talk to someone but don't have the confidence to do so; just go for it! You'll know if they want to be your friend or not by the way they respond. Maybe you could start the conversation with something simple, such as; "Hey, are you alright?" etc.
• Everybody likes some attention, (even the shy ones). Pay a little attention to people, and often they'll repay you warmly. It doesn't take much.
• Do not be selfish. Many think if they are generous their friends would take advantage of them. This is an absurd paradox. If your friends were taking advantage of you, you would see right through them, and they should not be considered your friend!
• Avoid prejudice, even among age. It is not impossible for a 20-year-old to be a friend to a 70-year-old. Don't limit your possibilities.
• Earn some money. You'll be able to go out and do more things, and if you get a job, you'll meet more people there who have similar experiences.
• Surround yourself with people you want to be like.
• Be passionate about what you believe in - keep your own opinions and ideas.
• Take genuine interest in other people, and they will do the same for you.
• A great way to start a conversation with some one new is to ask advice. Everyone wants to show off a little and most likely they'll be happy to help.
• Start out slowly with people. Begin conversations with open-ended questions like, "How's it going?" and let the other person run with the conversation. Calibrate their initial response, to gauge whether they are responsive to more conversation.
• Don't forget about your other friends! Introduce them to each other. That way, you'll have more to talk about and your friends can make more friends, too.
• Sometimes people need a little coaxing. You might have to ask them "How are you?" and "What have have you been up to?" in succession before you get a deep enough response to bring about further conversation.
• People often underestimate how self-conscious other people are. When you interact with other people, remember that they can often make the conversation uncomfortable because of their own insecurities. The best thing to do is to be confident. Confidence gives you a greater vantage point in which to see the social inadequacies of other people.
• Aim to get respect from other people instead of their approval. People are attracted to the people that value themselves. If you are looking for other people's approval then you are implicitly saying that "I value this person's opinion of me, and valuation of me as my indication of worth." You have to value yourself and not seek anyone else's value assessment of you.
• Surround yourself with other people and you will attract more people. People take shortcuts, and in the absence of spending hours with you to find out who you really are, they look to see that you are liked by other people (it's called social proof). As a result, they come to the conclusion, "if other people like you, then I suspect I can like you as well."
• One thing that people like to talk about is sports. A good way to start a conversation is "Hey! How 'bout them (team)?" (If they are into sports that is)
• It's easier to talk to people if you have shared an experience with them. Clearly the friends you have at the moment predominantly talk about interesting things they did in the past.
• Don't be afraid to ask them for their Facebook, MySpace, AIM Screen Name, email address, phone #, etc. Its very important that you guys stay in contact if you want more friends.
• Don't try too hard.
• Cursing can be very unattractive, but at the same time, some people don't mind. It's best not to curse at all, people who don't like it instantly notice, but those who accept it don't notice it. But know the group you are in. Some groups of friends will like you better if you curse, but then it can be complicated(it might be OK around your same-sex friends but not when they have an opposite-sex friend over).
• Never wear disgusting and dirty clothes. It puts people right off.
• Always be nice to older people. Some of my best friends are older.

Edit Warnings

• Don't allow negative treatment of your friend in a group that you wouldn't want for yourself. If something seems wrong, such as some of your friends are humiliating another friend (even if the individual is a bit of a jerk), speak up in defense. Just remember that this is your friend, too. Who cares if the others disagree: tell them that they should be loyal to this friend. Make it a point that "we are all friends". When it comes down to it, do you really want to regret not defending one of your friends in the group? Would it be worth it, to not help your friend -- and not show the others that you can be trusted to standup for them, too!
• Avoid self-destructive thoughts. Doing things that build talent and esteem will subdue such negativity.
• It is not necessary to accept the first person who comes along, as a friend. Judge them on their merits, not their appearance. In fact, don't judge much at all. Be cautious, however.
• Don't try to say something just for the purpose of looking smart or funny. Most people would rather be friends with someone who comes off as being sincere, not someone just trying to show off. Make sure your humor comes naturally and isn't forced.
• Not everybody likes a bubbly, social, funny personality. A lot of people probably like you just as you are!
• Be yourself. DON'T think about changing into someone else that you are not as you will not get respect that way. If you lie about something that you really don't do, they'll end up finding out & maybe everyone the next week won't be into that anymore, so your best thing to do is talk about your own interests & ask them about theirs or any others they may have.
• The 'key thing' in a conversation is the word 'you'. Ask them about themselves. DON'T go talking about yourself the whole time! If you notice you are saying "I" too much or are just talking about yourself, hurry up & finish that sentence & ask them about what they like. Example: "I like that singer's style. What kinda music do you like?"
• Never put yourself down. Always be confident and other people will notice. Making a bad remark about yourself only makes it OK for other people to do so too.
• Watch late night comedy so you can develop a sense of how to make people laugh.
• Don't crack a joke every 5 seconds. People may think you're annoying, and won't want to hang around you.
• Don't try too hard to be funny.
• Don't laugh too much! If you're too nervous, take deep breaths and try to calm down.
• Don't put anyone down including an older person or an ugly person. Be nice to everyone, for example don't find fault in others under no circumstances.