Conversations About Friendship

Conversations About Friendship

How Do I Take This Friendship to the Next Level Without Being Weird?

I promise it's not to make the first move!

Nina Badzin's avatar
Nina Badzin
Jan 11, 2024
∙ Paid
Chessboard by Adlan on Unsplash

Send the first text. Make the first call. Offer the first set of date suggestions for a hangout. You cannot get to know someone who seems like a potential friend if you’re unwilling to take an emotional risk with a first move.

Have a friendship dilemma? 

You can tell me about it, anonymously.

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Dear Nina,

I would love your tips for getting to know someone I only see as part of an organized walking group I attend approximately three times a month for an hour at a time.

Most Dear Nina posts are free, but once a month I share an anonymous question + my answer for paying subscribers. Hey, there has to be a perk for the big supporters. So thank you for considering becoming one of them. You might have a similar friendship dilemma. Check out the archive too!

I see this person on the walks, and from the little chatting we do here and there, I get the feeling we could become friends outside of the walking group. However, I’m uncertain how to approach this when we are in a group setting all of the time.

Thanks, I don’t want to be weird!


Dear “I Don’t Want to be Weird,”

This is such a good question because I get a version of it fairly often. You’re not alone. So many people want to reach out to a new potential friend, but are afraid of being “weird.”

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