40+ Important Resources to Improve Your Friendship Skills

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Struggling to make friends as an adult? Uncover 44 important resources to help you build connections with ease starting today!

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Improving your friendship skills: Get better at making friends

Making friends as an adult is like trying to navigate a maze. Just when you think you’re on the right track, you hit a dead-end.

But here’s the good news: you’re not stuck in this maze forever! You can find the friendships you’ve been longing for. You just need to know how. 

That’s where we come in. This blog post contains a treasure trove of important resources to help you not only get better at making friends but also attract the right kind of people into your life. These handpicked resources go beyond the classics (like How to Win Friends and Influence People) and provide practical advice, expert guidance, and fresh perspectives to supercharge your friend-making journey. 

No more feeling disappointed, lost, and alone – it’s time to make lasting and authentic connections and enrich your life with true friends who’ll be there through thick and thin. 

Are you ready to change the game and discover the secrets to making real friends? Let’s begin!

Courses to improve your friendship skills

Discover video-based courses that will drastically improve your friendship skills so you become a better friend for others and, in the process, attract and keep real friends, too!

7 Scientifically Proven Steps to Increase Your Influence

In this course, you’ll discover the seven scientifically proven steps to increase your influence and become a more persuasive, engaging, and attractive friend. Through expert instruction and practical exercises, you’ll learn how to “be the most memorable person in the room, get the job you want, increase your influence, win friends, harness your charisma, increase your income, master social situations, take control of your reputation, and make an impact on the people you meet.”

Active Listening: You Can Be a Great Listener

Being a good listener is essential for building strong friendships. This course on active listening teaches you how to become more attentive and empathetic, helping you forge deeper connections with the people around you. With expert guidance and practical exercises, you’ll learn the skills necessary to become a great listener and a better friend.

Assertive Communication Skills Masterclass

Develop the assertive communication skills you need to maintain healthy friendships. This masterclass on communication covers techniques from being more assertive to learning how to confidently establish boundaries, ensuring your relationships stay balanced and respectful/

Assertive Communication Skills Masterclass

Award-Winning Lie Detection Course: Taught by FBI Trainer

It’s not all sunshine and roses when you’re making new friends. If you’re worried about attracting dishonest people, then you need to take this award-winning lie detection course for beginners. Taught by an FBI trainer, it will equip you with advanced lie-detection skills so you can build genuine, trustworthy friendships. No more fake friends – only authentic connections!

Double Your Social Skills and Instantly Connect With People

Ready to become a social butterfly? This course teaches you how to double your social skills and instantly connect with others. You’ll learn how to start a conversation with anyone, destroy the fear of rejection, double your confidence, and engineer a winner’s state – as well as communication techniques and body language cues to create deep, lasting connections with new friends.  

Never be Lied to Again: Advanced Lie Detection Course

Expand your lie detection skills with this advanced lie detection course (if you’re a beginner, take the beginner’s course first). You’ll gain valuable insights into human behavior and deception as well as practical ways you can get the truth quickly – ensuring you’re only ever surrounded by genuine, reliable friends. Protect yourself from betrayal and enjoy honest friendships!

Never be Lied to Again: Advanced Lie Detection Course

How to Make Friends and Create Better Social Circles

How do you go from being an acquaintance to a close friend? This online course on how to make friends covers all aspects of friendship, from starting that first crucial conversation to maintaining lasting connections. With engaging video lessons and practical exercises, you’ll learn how to build solid friendships and avoid common pitfalls. Why not invest in yourself and develop the skills to make friends that last a lifetime?

Self-Esteem & Social Skills Course for Anxious and Awkward

This course is designed to help you boost your self-esteem and social skills. Discover techniques to conquer your anxiety, stop seeking external validation, overcome Impostor’s Syndrome, engage confidently in conversations, and attract like-minded friends who appreciate you for who you are.

Social Skills: How To Make A Great First Impression

If you’ve ever wished you could make an unforgettable first impression, this course on social skills teaches you just that. You’ll learn to captivate people and build an instant rapport, setting the stage for meaningful friendships. Say goodbye to awkward encounters and hello to making friends with ease!

Social Skills: How To Make A Great First Impression

The Communication Skills and Social Intelligence Masterclass

Level up your social intelligence with this comprehensive masterclass on communication skills and social intelligence. You’ll learn effective communication techniques, empathy, and emotional intelligence so you can connect and interact with people in an authentic and interesting way. This course teaches you essential skills so you can build stronger, more fulfilling friendships.

The Power of Empathy

In this Masterclass on Empathy, Pharrell Williams, Robin Arzón, Roxane Gay, Walter Mosley, Robert Reffkin, Gloria Steinem, and Cornel West show how powerfully empathy can “transform everything that you do and everything that you are” – including how you show up for other people. Great friends are empathetic. And because attracting great friends requires you to become a great friend yourself, you’ll need to be empathetic too. 

Books to help you get better at making friends

Remember that Big Bang Theory episode where Sheldon Cooper tried to make friends with Barry Kripke? Yeah, we’re not doing that here. The courses in this section will teach you how to improve your friendship skills beyond what Sheldon Cooper learned from Stu the Cockatoo (or his friendship algorithm).

Enjoy!

Click: The Forces Behind How We Fully Engage with People, Work, and Everything We Do

In “Click,” Ori and Rom Brafman explore the fascinating science behind instant connections and lasting friendships. Drawing on cutting-edge research and real-life examples, this book offers valuable insights into the factors contributing to deep, meaningful relationships. Discover the secrets of “clicking” with others and learn how to create stronger bonds in your personal and professional life.

Friendfluence: The Surprising Ways Friends Make Us Who We Are

Our friendships profoundly impact our lives, shaping who we are and how we perceive the world. In “Friendfluence,” Carlin Flora explores the science behind the powerful influence of our social connections and offers practical advice on how to build and maintain healthy, supportive friendships. Delve into the fascinating world of friendship and discover how your social circle shapes your life.

Frientimacy: How to Deepen Friendships for Lifelong Health and Happiness

In “Frientimacy,” award-winning speaker and friendship expert Shasta Nelson explores the importance of emotional intimacy in creating solid and lasting friendships. Learn how to deepen your connections, overcome common challenges plaguing female friendships, and build a supportive network of friends who truly understand and care for you. This book is an invaluable resource for creating more meaningful and fulfilling friendships.

How to Win Friends and Influence People in the Digital Age

In this modern adaptation of the classic self-help book, Dale Carnegie & Associates provide timeless wisdom and practical advice for navigating friendships in the digital age. Learn how to communicate effectively, win people over, and maintain meaningful connections in a world dominated by social media and technology. With this book, you’ll be equipped to thrive in today’s complex social landscape.

The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism

Charisma is a powerful tool for building friendships and influencing others. In “The Charisma Myth,” Olivia Fox Cabane reveals the secrets of charisma and provides practical techniques for developing this magnetic quality. By understanding the science behind charisma and learning how to harness it, you’ll be able to create stronger connections and attract the right people into your life.

The Friendship Factor: How to Get Closer to the People You Care for

In “The Friendship Factor,” Alan Loy McGinnis shares the secrets to building and maintaining strong, lasting friendships. Through personal stories, expert insights, and practical advice, this book offers a roadmap for creating meaningful connections and living a more fulfilled life. If you want to improve your friendships and attract quality friends, this book is for you.

Radical Friendship: Seven Ways to Love Yourself and Find Your People in an Unjust World

Discover the seven strategies “Radical Friendship” shares to help you embody your deepest values in all of your relationships. Drawing on the Buddha’s teachings on spiritual friendship, this book offers a fresh perspective on how you can connect more authentically with yourself, with your friends and family, and within your communities.

The Like Switch: An Ex-FBI Agent’s Guide to Influencing, Attracting, and Winning People Over

Ever wondered how to make people like you instantly? “The Like Switch” by Jack Schafer, a former FBI agent, provides powerful insights into the psychology of attraction and friendship. Master the art of nonverbal communication, learn to decode social signals, and discover proven techniques to create instant rapport. This book is a must-read if you want to improve your friend-making skills and become a magnet for meaningful connections.

The Lost Art of Listening: How Learning to Listen Can Improve Relationships

Good listening skills are crucial for building strong, lasting friendships. In “The Lost Art of Listening,” Michael P. Nichols teaches you how to become a more attentive and empathetic listener, fostering deeper connections with the people around you. By understanding the barriers to effective listening and learning how to overcome them, you’ll be able to create more meaningful relationships and be a better friend to those you care about.

The Science of Likability: 60 Evidence-Based Methods to Radiate Charisma, Make a Powerful Impression, Win Friends, and Trigger Attraction

What makes someone likable? In “The Science of Likability,” Patrick King explores the psychology behind human connection and offers practical advice on becoming more likable, relatable, and influential. By understanding the factors contributing to likability and applying these principles to your life, you’ll be better equipped to build meaningful friendships and enjoy a more fulfilling social life.

We Should Get Together: The Secret to Cultivating Better Friendships

In “We Should Get Together,” Kat Vellos offers solutions to the four most common challenges of modern adult friendship: “constant relocation, full schedules, the demands of partnership and family, and our culture’s declining capacity for compassion and intimacy in the age of social media.” With personal anecdotes and expert insights, this book will inspire you to prioritize your friendships and invest in the relationships that matter most. Read it, and you’ll be well on your way to a more connected and satisfying life.

How to Be a Friend: An Ancient Guide to True Friendship

Sometimes, the best sources are short and to the point. How to Be a Friend is a modern translation of a timeless classic, where the great Roman politician and philosopher Cicero shows exactly how we can build friendships and explains why “life without friends is not worth living.”

Short bites: Improve your friendship skills (quickly!)

20 Simple Ways To Make Friends As An Adult, Recommended By Experts

If everything you need to do to find real friends overwhelms you, read this article. It breaks down 20 simple, expert-recommended ways to make friends as an adult. These tips are easy to follow and will help you navigate the friend-making process with greater ease. 

Dunbar’s Number

Ever wondered why it’s hard to maintain a large circle of close friends? In this fascinating TED Talk, anthropologist Robin Dunbar (see video below) explains the concept of “Dunbar’s Number” – the idea that our brains can only maintain a limited number of social connections. Discover the science behind human relationships and learn how to prioritize the friendships that truly matter.

How To Attract Your Soul Tribe: 10 Ways To Create Community and Improve Your Health

The Roseto Effect, discovered in Pennsylvania, showed that “being part of a community where elders are revered, and people are nurtured leads to a significantly lower incidence of heart disease and other stress-related diseases.” Attracting real friends and forming a community with them becomes even more important. This article shows you 10 different ways you can create your very own Roseto community.

How to Find Your Soul Tribe in the Digital Age

In this fast-paced digital era, finding your “soul tribe” – a group of people you intuitively connect with on a deep level – might seem daunting. Interestingly, we have so much technology at our fingertips that allow us to connect to people worldwide, and yet we, as a society, are gripped by loneliness. This article provides tips on how to make deep friendships even in these modern times.

How to Make, and Keep, Friends in Adulthood

Adult friendships require nurturing and effort. This article shares strategies by friendship expert Dr. Marisa Franco, who guides you on how to make new friends and maintain those relationships, ensuring they stand the test of time. 

How to Make Friends As An Adult In 5 Easy to Use Steps

In this brief article, likability expert Vanessa Van Edwards talks about five simple steps to make friends as an adult. She takes you from the courtship stage all the way to the “most amazing, fulfilling, mushy-gushy, part of friendships,” and shows that for adults, making friends doesn’t have to be impossible after all!

SuperSoul Sessions: The Anatomy of Trust

Trust is the foundation of any strong friendship, but how do you build and maintain trust in your relationships? In this insightful video, Brené Brown explores what trust really means – the anatomy of trust – and offers practical advice on fostering it in your friendships. Learn its seven key components and discover how to create a strong foundation for lasting and meaningful connections.

“The Art of Charm” Podcast

Listening to “The Art of Charm” podcast is like conversing with a great friend. It covers everything from networking to body language and provides actionable advice on how to build genuine connections with others. Interviews with different experts will help you gain a wealth of knowledge to help you excel at making friends. So grab your headphones and dive in – it’s time to unleash your inner charmer.

The Power of Vulnerability

In this eye-opening TED Talk, vulnerability researcher Brené Brown shares that embracing vulnerability and letting go of shame can help you create stronger friendships and live a more authentic, connected life. In short, letting your guard down is the key to genuine connection.

This Is How To Make Friends As An Adult: 5 Secrets Backed By Research

In this engaging article, Eric Barker discusses how important real friends are and shares research-backed strategies for attracting more of them to your life. From reconnecting with old friends to starting your own group, these practical tips will help you build stronger connections and enjoy a more fulfilling social life. Give it a read and discover the secrets to making lasting friendships.

Why It’s So Hard to Make Friends After College (And What to Do About It)

If you’re over thirty, you may have noticed how much harder it is to make lifelong friends. In this article, Lifehacker writer Melanie Pinola explains why that happens, why it doesn’t have to be bad, and what you can do if you want to change it.

Friendship Apps & Websites

Want to exercise your friendship skills? These apps and websites allow you to reach groups of people beyond your immediate vicinity. If the people who are to be your real friends live in the other side of the world, these friendship apps and websites could be just the thing you’re looking for!

Ablo

If you want to make friends worldwide, this app is for you. Ablo lets you chat and video call with people from different countries, exchange cultural insights, and broaden your horizons. This app is your passport to global friendships!

Atleto Sports

Love sports? Atleto Sports connects you with like-minded individuals in your area to participate in sports activities. Make friends while staying active and healthy – a win-win situation!

Bloom Community

Bloom is a referral-based consent-forward social and dating community app that helps you meet new friends and partners in a safe way. That means people use it to make all sorts of connections – from platonic to romantic (and everything in between!). Because it strongly emphasises consent, it’s probably one of the safest online communities you can join to meet new friends.

Bumble BFF

Finding friends as an adult can be challenging, but Bumble BFF is here to help. This popular app (so, maybe it’s not so uncommon #sorrynotsorry) connects you with like-minded people in your area, making it easy to meet new friends and expand your social circle. With a user-friendly interface and a focus on safety, Bumble BFF is the perfect tool for building new connections and enriching your social life.

Meetup

Looking for a place to meet like-minded individuals? Meetup is your go-to platform for finding local groups and events based on your interests. Whether you’re into hiking, photography, or board games, there’s something for everyone. Just show up, be yourself, and let the shared experiences pave the way for new friendships.

Nextdoor

Connecting with your neighbors is a great way to build a sense of community and make new friends. Nextdoor is a neighborhood hub that helps you stay informed about local events, share recommendations, and build connections with those living nearby. Sign up, introduce yourself, and start getting to know your neighbors – who knows, your next best friend could be living just around the corner.

Peanut

Moms, meet your new best friend! Peanut is a networking app designed specifically for mothers seeking connections and support. Share experiences, exchange advice, and make friends who understand your unique journey.

Skout

Ready to expand your social circle? Skout connects you with people nearby or on the other side of the world, allowing you to chat and make friends. Discover new cultures, languages, and perspectives as you connect with others.

The Friendship Files

The Friendship Files contains three years’ worth of articles featuring a conversation between The Atlantic’s Julie Beck and two or more friends. In each instalment, they explore the history and significance of their relationship – and is an excellent window into what fuels long and lasting friendship.

Twitch

If gaming is your passion, Twitch is your go-to app. Join gaming communities, chat with fellow gamers, and make friends who share your enthusiasm for virtual worlds. 

Wink

Wink allows you to make friends through short video chats. Swipe, chat, and connect with people based on your interests. You never know who you’ll meet – your next best friend could be just a swipe away!

Improve your friendship skills now!

By exploring these resources, you’ll not only improve your friend-making abilities, but you’ll also attract higher-quality connections. Each resource provides unique insights and strategies tailored to help you overcome the challenges of forming new friendships as an adult. So take the plunge, and start your journey towards a richer, more fulfilling social life. Remember, making friends is an ongoing process, and with the right tools, you’ll be well-equipped to create lasting connections and enjoy the benefits of strong friendships.

For more information on how to find, make, and keep real friends, check out the posts below:

• How to Find Real Friends in a World Full of Fakes
• 5 Foolproof Ways to Help You Make & Keep Real Friends

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