Making Friends

Some people make friends much more easily than others. This tends to start in early childhood, where friendships are just beginning to develop. If you observe young children at play you can see how people make friends on a subconscious level. Boys and girls develop friendships in different ways.
Boys appear to take friends for granted. They engage in side by side play and do not make much eye contact. They will play together for a period of time and then go on to other games and other playmates. Girls, on the other hand, may be more cautious before approaching other girls to play with. They want more from a friendship and will expect another girl to play alongside them and to make regular eye contact. These methods and types of play carry over to adult friendships.
An outgoing person has no difficulty in going up to a new person and introducing themselves. There may be a brief period of introduction and acceptance and then the friendship begins to form as the two people bond. Others have great difficulty in making new and lasting friendships. These people may be hesitant to make the initial contact and then compound the situation by not being forthcoming with personal information. This can lead to uncomfortable interchanges with others and a feeling of being an outsider.
It is said that to have a friend one must be a friend. This can take many forms but basically it means that you must give a little of yourself before another person will give a little of themselves. Think about this idea as you make your lasting friendships.