How do I make friends in Perth if I’m introverted?
You want to meet people, form friendships and feel less alone, but you think that your introverted nature is an obstacle to achieving that?
In a society mainly designed for extroverts, you can think that somehow being quiet and introverted isn’t the right way to go, and that more extroverted personalities have it easier when it comes to interacting.
First, stop undermining your introverted nature! It’s not better or worse than being extroverted! In the world’s history, a lot of transformative leaders and creatives have been introverts. Studies estimate that a third to a half of the population are introverts, so there’s a lot more of you around than you might think!
According to Susan Cain, introversion’s not about shyness, which can resemble fear of social judgement, but is rather about how you respond to social stimulation. Ok, it’s not an absolute science but extroverts favour stimulation, whereas introverts feel at their best when they’re in quieter, more low-key environments.
You must understand that being an introvert is not a barrier! You do have things to offer to create a connection with a fellow human being. The key is to be in the right zone of stimulation and to understand the implicit rules of social interaction.
How do you make friends as an introvert?
To build relationships, we need to have a positive social engagement, which is always easier if you’re in a valued social role.
“Social roles locate people in social space, structure the ways a person who makes a particular contribution usually shows up and acts and signal what others can expect from them in that role.
Social roles identify the different ways that people relate to one another, belong to each other, count on each other, and are responsible to each other. They point to the ways a person can contribute and make a difference in other people’s lives.”
We all know it’s easier to be in a comfortable social setting, but have you already asked yourself why you feel comfortable or uncomfortable in a given social situation?
The keys to social interaction and overcoming social isolation
You’re much more at ease when you’re in an environment where you can share your passions, interests, knowledge and abilities. That’s because you’re interacting around something you value. You being interested makes you interesting!
- Let’s say you are crazy about Friends. You going to a quiz night around the TV show’s great because you’re knowledgeable about it. You can throw around some Friends inside jokes to fellow fans! Isn’t the best way to start a friendship?
- On the contrary, if you go to a chess night and know nothing about the game, it can be harder to talk about it with players for example. You might need to make more efforts to understand what’s going on and adopt the expected behaviour. You might find yourself in a situation when you’re just an observer and you’re not participating. And that’s not something you want to happen!
Find local events that you’ll love and will suit your interests, even if you feel socially awkward!
If you ask yourself where you can go, don’t worry any more! Befriend’s got you! You can find our events on Facebook and on our website. We’ve got a bunch of different events from crochet knitting to scavenger hunts!
If you don’t find anything interesting there, why not become a host and propose your own event around something that you’re passionate about?!!
