Join something that repeats

Think where your friends came from. School, a team, a job. You didn't pick those people. You kept running into them. When those places end, so does the supply.

The idea that seeing the same people again and again builds closeness is a classic in psychology, and the wider finding that we warm to what we see often has held up many times. Evidence: worth trying The cleanest test I found is small: students given neighbouring seats at random on their first day rated their friendship higher a year later. Evidence: worth trying I haven't found one on grown men, so treat it as a good bet, not a rule.

What is better supported: a friend takes dozens of hours together, and the hours that count are time spent hanging out, not time working side by side. Evidence: decent Something weekly gives you a shot at those hours without anyone having to plan them.

Pick something where the same people come back each time. A drop-in where the faces change every week won't do it.