Metadata
- Author: Neel Nanda
- Full Title:: Post 43: Intentionally Making Close Friends
- Category:: 🗞️Articles
- URL:: https://www.neelnanda.io/blog/43-making-friends
- Read date:: 2025-04-12
Highlights
It’s easy to slip into a passive mindset here, to think of emotional connections as ‘something that take time’ or ‘need to happen naturally’. That to be intentional about things is ‘inauthentic’. I think this mindset is absolutely crazy. (View Highlight)
Most social norms optimise for conversations that feel safe, not ones that feel exciting, so I need to do something differently! (View Highlight)
Warning: these tactics sometimes get the other person to monologue - I am fine with this, and most people enjoy talking to an engaged audience, but some people feel bad at one-sided conversations. (View Highlight)
New highlights added 2025-04-13
My main approach is to create a space in which it feels safe to be vulnerable, but try to avoid creating obligations. (View Highlight)
I prefer to express lots of small vulnerabilities throughout the conversation rather than sharing something major and making it feel like a big deal (View Highlight)