How To Make More Friends
There are few people who manage wide, deep and meaningful friendship circles with ease. From my observations, there seems to be one common trait that connects them all.
They are genuinely curious about lots of things.
One of my best friends seems to know everyone in my home country. If I were to describe a core trait, it would be his relentless desire to learn anything out of pure interest - whether it’s constitutional law, math, Abrahamic religions or financial derivatives.
The same goes for the most socially successful professionals and entrepreneurs I have met over time. One, who runs a bio company, always asks me interesting questions and lets people talk when we’re in gatherings.
So why does genuine curiosity correlate with making friends?
Well, people love being cared about. And they are more likely to form deep relationships with those that care about them. And when someone asks you with genuineness about what you’re thinking about, or how you’re doing, it’s hard to think of better ways to signal care.
But you can’t force this.
Genuineness is hard to fake. So when someone is genuinely curious about things, they’re more likely to ask people questions that really hit the spot. Questions that make them feel heard.
But if you can’t fake genuineness, can you fake curiosity?
Probably not. But I think you can train it. Picking up a book and seeing what you enjoy. Trying to ask people more questions. Your social circle will either stay the same, or one might be positively surprised!