• HowMany@lemmy.ml
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    1 year ago

    DON’T go to the corner. Sit at the bar (or lean if there’s no stool). You have to be seen to be acknowledged else they’ll think you want to be alone - bar knowledge #2.

    • pomodoro_longbreak
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      1 year ago

      Was about to comment this. When I was a young guy, that was my go-to when I was new in town. Make friends with the bartender, letting them know what you’re up to, and if they know of any work. Maybe make some friends, connections. Graduate from bar to board game night. Move out of the shelter into an apartment. A-bing a-bang you got a job, a nascent friend circle, and a place to lay your head at night.

        • cmbabul@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Also Strider was clearly looking for someone specific, if you just want to meet people and make friends you need to be seen and even more importantly be seen as friendly and safe. Talk to the staff when they aren’t slammed, if they like you other people will be able to tell and be more inclined to talk to you.

          Additionally not a single person on Lemmy is in the same ballpark as Aragorn in any way, assuming that what worked for him will work for anyone else is vanity

          • msage@programming.dev
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            1 year ago

            I mean, apprehanding little people specifically will not work out well, however trying to chat someone up just might

    • The Octonaut@mander.xyz
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      1 year ago

      And have at least one quest and a small bag of gold coins with you for when the adventurers act like you’re not all here to do adventuring stuff for fun

  • Fizz@lemmy.nz
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    1 year ago

    Yeah relatable. Someone needs to release a bar socialization guide for us to follow.

    • darkpanda@lemmy.ca
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      1 year ago

      A lot of my friends worked in the bar and restaurant industry over the years and I’ve spent a shit load of time in bars. I’ve had several bars that were my regular haunts for a few years at a time, and I’ve gone through a few completely different sets of, like, “bar friends” over the last 25 years. (One of the “bars” was more of a bar/coffee shop where I drank way more coffee than booze, mind you, but anyways…)

      • don’t sit in the corner. The bar is where it’s at.

      • talk to the bartenders a bit. Ask about the local scene. Any events going on? If it’s a sports bar, ask about any PPVs coming up if they do that sort thing. If it’s a music bar, ask if they have any good bands coming up or if there’s open mics or whatever. At a minimum that starts up a conversation for a few minutes and gets the ball rolling. Of course, if the bar is being slammed, don’t just pester the bartender like a jerk, they still have other customers and a job to do, but part of their job is getting folks to come back. Repeat business is generally better business, and if you ask about what’s coming up in the future, you’re showing interest in coming back.

      • go a few times over the course of a few weeks. People will probably start to remember you.

      • any activities at the bar? They have dart boards? Pool tables? Open mics? I’ve sucked at darts and pool but I still played ‘em, and even played in some dart leagues, and no one really cared that I wasn’t particularly great ‘cause neither were they — it was all just an excuse to get out of the house for a bit.

      • the music scene is where I landed in the end. That’s been the last 15 years for me, really. It all just started by showing up, asking about shows, “any good bands coming up? What are the Bluesy Jazzies like? I’ve never seen them before, they worth the cover?”

      • don’t limit yourself to bars. Coffee shops, table top game stores, go bowling, whatever. It’s all really just about talking to people, starting with the chitchat, making inquiries, getting involved in some activities. Eventually you’ll be socialized as fuck.

    • ReallyKinda@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      Find a dive bar and go at the same time/times every week for at least 8 visits. You’ll know it’s a dive bar if it smells like the beer has soaked into the walls and floors and someone offers you a bump of coke in a bathroom that’s too small for two people. You will absolutely make friends but they might not be the best influences on your life. They’ll be really loyal and probably kinda funny though.

    • MissJinx@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      See that’s the wrong idea, meeting people in bars can be creepy and dangerous. For everyone alone that want to meet new people go for some classes or groups. In anything that you think interesting. Learn a new language, join a dance class, theater class, matial arts, Hiking group, advocacy, do some charity work, learn some obscure sport like disk golf, go do some larping… whatever floats your boat. Don’t go for things you don’t already like a bit, like if you are an indoor person don’t go for hiking, it can get old quick. This are the nice and cerified ways to meet new people without being awkward

      • protist@mander.xyz
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        1 year ago

        There are lots of people who go to bars who aren’t creeps. I have several friends I can trace back to meeting while out drinking, and others from other activities like some of the ones you described. No need to shame people who socialize at bars

        • MissJinx@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          You are right! It wasn’t my intention, I corrected. But I’m a woman so that’s a real thing for us a lot of times

          • protist@mander.xyz
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            1 year ago

            Yeah I get that, best to mitigate safety risks by going with others you already know, but that certainly defeats the purpose of this thread

      • masterspace@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        Where can I find a drinking alcohol, making comments about sports that I stole from the internet, and playing so-so darts, class to sign up for?

      • STUPIDVIPGUY@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        not necessarily creeps but definitely true that bars are great if you wanna make friends with elderly alcoholics

      • Nate Cox@programming.dev
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        1 year ago

        This is the way. If you want to make friends it’s so much easier when you start with a shared interest. Made many good friends in martial arts despite not being great at making friends, the ice breakers were all taken care of for me.

  • Azzu@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    I wonder why no one suggested yet to just go to a group that looks cool and say “hey, I’ve come here alone and want to meet people, would you mind if I join you?” and the answer will almost always be a resounding “yes” and you will be adopted.

    • GeoGio7@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I really don’t think that would work, it would be very awkward forcing something like that. Unless everybody is absolutely smashed you could maybe have that but it would still be not great

      • Azzu@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        I’m not sure how to argue with this except with “I have done this so many times and never received another answer”. I had no friends.

        • GeoGio7@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          It really depends on the people, personally if the person gives of good vibes I would 100% let them join because we’re all there for a good time and to have fun and be jovial

      • bitsplease@lemmy.ml
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        1 year ago

        This was my go to method of meeting people at college parties (which is admittedly a slightly different environment), but it never failed to work. Long as you aren’t giving off “creep” vibes most people are also down to meet new people

      • Azzu@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        No, actually, the answer will still be the “yes”. However, what happens after is by no means guaranteed and I’ll make no comments on.

        • Sotuanduso@lemm.ee
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          1 year ago

          What, didn’t you know that most people read your mind and all of your memories to evaluate your worth as a person before accepting social interaction?

        • Nalivai@discuss.tchncs.de
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          1 year ago

          I can almost see how they come to a group of people and challenge the biggest dude to a challenge of alphas to get al feeeemales, or whatever latest brainrot image board convinced them the human interaction is.

    • OsrsNeedsF2P@lemmy.ml
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      1 year ago

      “Hey, I’ve come alone and want to meet people, mind if I join you?” Also works a lot better for lonely/other asocial people in the bar, since asking about their day right off the bat can make them feel awkward

    • PsychedSy
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      1 year ago

      There’s a bar here where, if I have a table outside, I offer to let people looking for a table share it.

  • JokeDeity@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    Any advice given is going to completely ignore the underlying causes of this situation.

      • protist@mander.xyz
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        1 year ago

        You have to be willing to walk up and introduce yourself, and also willing to deal with the risk of rejection. That fear of rejection piece leads people to make decisions that protect their egos but also leave them lonely or isolated

          • protist@mander.xyz
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            1 year ago

            Really easy after enough practice to overcome that fear of rejection. But yes, someone who feels anxiety about the potential for rejection is probably going to struggle to just jump in and talk to strangers

            • Dontfearthereaper123@lemm.ee
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              1 year ago

              I’m not afraid of being rejected I just can’t do small talk. It takes me time to figure out how to respond to something which usually causes an awkward silence for others but I’ve gotten used to it. If I do go up to someone and speak chances r that beyond that first sentence that I had already planned out I won’t be able to say anything else beyond “mmm” so how do I solve that?

              • Suburbanl3g3nd@lemmings.world
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                1 year ago

                People live talking about themselves. If you get them talking by asking some genuine questions, they’ll go for it. Iirc this is a good video to explain it briefly: https://youtu.be/vU-ibdHkz4Y?si=AgoPUH873IjpYJ0a

                Don’t forget though, you’re there to get to know folks. Not turn them into a science project or run a specific method. It’s okay to stumble over words or say you’ve had trouble making new friends lately (and leave it at that). People like helping innately if you ask or are a little vulnerable

        • pixelscript@lemmy.ml
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          1 year ago

          For me I frame it less as a fear of rejection and more of a fear of putting someone in the inconvenient position of having to tell someone to go away.

          Tell me to fuck off and get lost to my face, fine. I’m the awkward extra wheel no one asked for in this situation, this is just an expected outcome. Tell me something I don’t know, lmao.

          But the thought that someone came to a bar to have a good time, only to be stained because some irritating creep (me) showed up out of the crowd and reached out unsolicited, well, that’s what’s soul crushing to me. The idea that my very presence may actively disrupt their night out makes me feel like an unwelcome prick just for being there.

          Of couse, that’s just a toxic fantasy I dreamed up in my own head. But so is just about any arbitrary mental barrier that prevents otherwise rational people from doing reasonable things.

      • oʍʇǝuoǝnu@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        Maybe paint ball instead? Shoot someone in the neck and you’ll get a great story and an easy ice breaker.

  • Pazuzu@midwest.social
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    1 year ago

    barcades are a great option if there’s one nearby. “Hey, want to play?” is so much easier than trying to start a conversation unprompted

    • Calavera@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      Wow, is this a thing? Never heard about it. I would like love to see play some old arcades in a bar

      • jaywalker@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        It’s definitely a thing in the US and I imagine a lot of other places. Even smaller cities will usually have at least one. Some aren’t going to have actual arcade cabinets (or not many of them), but will have consoles/emulators set up

  • 009_Sound_System
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    1 year ago

    Honestly Starbucks is a better bet. Make sure you bring your phone chargers.

  • Daft_ish@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I drink alone, yeah

    With nobody else

    I drink alone, yeah

    With nobody else

    Yeah, you know when I drink alone

    I prefer to be by myself

    • Frozengyro@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      My whole family done give up on me

      And it makes me feel oh so bad

      The only one who’ll hang out with me

      Is my dear Old Grand-Dad

  • ArxCyberwolf@lemmy.ca
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    1 year ago

    I sit upon my barstool throne

    I vow to never drink alone

    I only drink with friends or total strangers…

  • mommykink@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Meeting people at bars in general is a meme. Loud music and drunk people who won’t remember your name in the morning, why would you think this is a good place to make actual connections?

    The real place (if you want to keep the alcohol theme) is a brewery in the afternoon/evening. Much more laid back atmosphere, and you already have an opener for meeting people, “been here before?” “What do you think of the Sweatibals IPA?,” etc. Not to mention the fact that the crowd at a brewery versus a bar is completely different and usually more welcoming to random, real conservation in my experience.