‘I Have No Friends’: Why You Feel This Way & What to Do

e. What can you do if you don’t have friends you could trust and rely on? And most importantly, why does this happen to you? First of all, let’s admit that friendship is a subjective phenomenon, just like happiness or love, and each of us has our own definition of this type of connection between two people. For example, if we ask an extrovert and an introvert about what a friend is, we will probably get quite different answers. As such, an extrovert will most likely say that a friend is a person you have common interests and hobbies with. It is someone with whom you can spend your free time, have fun, and enjoy shared experiences. An introvert will most certainly focus on the communication aspect of being a friend and tell that it’s a person you can confide your secrets and personal problems to. But both will surely add that friendship is also about trust, loyalty, and support. Thus, if you feel like you have no friends, the first step is to ask yourself, ‘What does friendship mean to me?’ Think about your own definition of friendship to find what it is that is missing from your social connections. Now, let’s explore a few specific reasons for a lack of friends. This is probably the most common reason why someone might be feeling like they don’t have friends. In our society, quantity is often considered more important than quality. Thus, people of all ages (especially younger generations) tend to think that they need to have a certain number of connections in their social circle. However, relationships between people are not a football score, and in reality, it doesn’t matter how many friends you have compared to an average person. It’s the quality of the connection that defines someone as your friend or just an acquaintance. If you feel like your friends don’t share the same values and aspirations in life and you can only discuss superficial and routine stuff, maybe they are not your friends at all.

They are just random people who happen to be a part of your life today, but they might not be there tomorrow. Sometimes we refuse to see the obvious, especially when we are emotionally connected to someone. You know how it happens – you hang out with a person and consider them a friend until a difficult situation arises and you realize that they don’t give a damn about you. Your supposed friend is not there when you need their help and support the most. Sometimes, the people you consider your friends also turn out to be fake, manipulative, or overly critical. When you share an opinion or an aspiration with them, they laugh at you and convince you that it’s a bad idea.

They claim they know what’s best for you and are just being realistic. After being in the company of such people, you feel drained and insecure. Or maybe you confide your personal problems to someone just to later realize that they used them as the food for gossip.

The scenarios are endless, but all these situations stem from being in the wrong company. Losing a friend is certainly a painful process and disappointments like this hurt. This is when you realize you have no friends anymore and there is no one left that you can trust. But believe me, it’s better than being blinded by the illusion of friendship while letting other people take advantage of you.

The first two reasons may sound like it’s other people’s fault that you don’t have friends. However, it’s not always about ‘them’. Sometimes having no friends has to do with your own personal qualities and behaviors. You might be so guarded that you simply don’t let other people into your life. This is a common problem of introverts, individuals with trust issues and mental illness, and abuse or trauma survivors.

These categories of people can’t help themselves – they are just unable to open up to others easily. Maybe you have been hurt in the past and are afraid to grow closer to someone and risk being betrayed again. Maybe you are just too reserved and cautious about meeting new people. While the reasons behind these behaviors are understandable, sometimes you need to loosen the grip of your defense mechanisms when it comes to interacting with other people. As for me, I can say for sure that my guarded behavior is one of the basic reasons why I have almost no friends. Think about it – maybe this is what could explain your struggle with making friends too. Probably the most obvious reason why someone doesn’t have friends is a lack of communication skills. Some people seem to have an innate ability to find common ground with those around them, but it doesn’t come so easily to everyone. It’s fine if your communication skills are not at their best. Mine are neither, and this is why I don’t have friends.

The good news is that you can always improve your ability to communicate. But what do we mean when we talk about the lack of communication skills? There can be a myriad of examples. Let’s explore the most common ones: First of all, you might not show much interest in other people. Think about it: when you meet a new person, do you ask them any questions or are they the only one who wants to get to know you better? Most people love talking about themselves, and when they see that you are not interested to learn more about their life, they will instinctively withdraw. After all, it’s natural to seek mutual interest and devotion in any type of relationship. The same goes for someone who doesn’t know how to listen to others and talks about themselves all the time. This trait is called conversational narcissism and many people have it without even realizing it. It’s is similar to showing little interest in others but is much more annoying. If you know someone who is a conversational narcissist, you will understand exactly what I mean. Attempt to share your opinion or tell a story about yourself, and this person will not hesitate to interrupt you and turn the conversation to themselves.

They always seem to have a better story to tell and a more important opinion to share. This kind of behavior pushes people away because one of the basic psychological needs we all have is to be heard. My husband always says that my body language cues and facial expressions tell other people that I’m either hiding something or am not interested in interaction. It’s because I struggle with maintaining eye contact and fail to exhibit confident and open body language. I guess this is one of the reasons I have no friends except for a couple of classmates I still talk to.

The non-verbal aspect of communication is no less important than the words we say. We unconsciously ‘read’ other people, and if someone doesn’t make eye contact, turns away, or looks down most of the time, we immediately feel like they don’t want to talk to us. Or even worse, we might assume that this person is being inauthentic or is hiding something, so it’s better to stay away from them. One of the most important communication skills is the ability to manage conflict in a healthy way. Unbalanced conflict management styles include both behaving in a too confrontational manner and avoiding conflict situations at all costs. If you think about it, both of these approaches can cause issues in interpersonal relations. When you avoid the most trivial conflict, you end up not standing your ground.

Therefore, you give others the green light to violate your personal boundaries, take you for granted, and neglect your needs. It’s a sure way to find yourself surrounded by toxic and abusive personalities. On the other hand, if you are too confrontational, those around you may get exhausted by the constant fights. In this case, they will prefer to withdraw than deal with this tension that surrounds you. After all, most of us seek the company of people who make us feel good. Introducing unnecessary confrontation into our lives is the last thing we want. It’s natural to want to surround yourself with good vibes.

There is already so much evil and hatred in our world that we want to see positivity at least in our personal lives. At the same time, no one can be positive all the time, and experiencing negative emotions is a part of being a human. However, if most of your talking revolves around complaining or criticizing others, don’t be surprised when your friends turn down one invitation after another and their calls get less and less frequent. Just like in the case of high conflict personalities, most people prefer to stay away from overly negative and critical individuals. Finally, there is one more reason why you might not have friends, and it’s a good thing. You could be a loner and not realize that you simply have very low needs for social interaction. My book ‘The Power of Misfits: How to Find Your Place in a World You Don’t Fit In’ is devoted to such personalities. For my whole life, I felt like an outsider who failed to connect with fellow human beings. I wondered why I had no friends in college and school and was absolutely sure that something was wrong with me. But the truth is that having just a couple of real, loyal friends is enough for me. Of course, from time to time, I still feel like it’s not normal to have so few friends and basically no social life. But I remind myself that this is who I am and it’s perfectly fine! What if you are a loner too? In this case, you need to work on self-acceptance to make sure you are comfortable in your own skin. Maybe you should start with the question, ‘Do I really want to make more friends?’ If you feel that this is you, read this article about the lone wolf personality and take the free test. If you have recognized yourself in the above, you may think that every instance of a lack of friendships requires a different solution, and you are right. However, there are a few basic things to do if you feel like you have no friends: The first step to take is to ask yourself, ‘Which of my behaviors and personality traits could push people away?’ Try to be honest and objective. You could also ask your family and special someone. Often, those around us are able to see the truth we neglect simply because they have a clearer idea of how we treat other people. Are you a negative thinker who looks moody and complains most of the time? Do you listen to other people and ask them questions? How do you approach conflict situations? Are you too reserved and guarded? The next step is to analyze the quality of your existing social connections. Feeling like you have no friends is not a coincidence, and it could mean that you have already realized that the people you surround yourself with are not ‘your tribe’. Can you share personal problems with your friends? Do they actually listen to you? Are they willing to offer you help and support when you need it? How do they make you feel about yourself? We often pursue the wrong things in life, driven by social conditioning. This includes the need to be liked by everyone and having an active social life. But the truth is that whether you are a quiet introvert or an outgoing extrovert, it’s the quality of social interaction that matters. Thus, if you have no friends, maybe you’ve been looking in the wrong places.

The point is to find like-minded individuals who understand and share your aspirations and values in life. It would be someone who would bring more quality and meaning to your life, not just a person to kid around with. Yes, when it comes to friendship, having fun is important, but getting support and understanding is priceless. This is a particularly important step if you are an introvert or loner and feel like you have no friends. If you think about it, low self-esteem ruins your social life in two ways: you are afraid to show your true self to others and fail to make a good impression. While the second one is more important for job interviews, the first one can leave you being surrounded by the wrong people. If you feel insecure when it comes to expressing your opinions and just being your true authentic self, others don’t get the chance to know the real you. For this reason, you should work on boosting your self-esteem and self-acceptance. Our insecurities are often a product of the pressure from our families, school, and society. If you were a quiet kid, your parents and teachers would most likely force you to be more social. Thus, it’s important to get to the root of your insecurities and self-esteem issues.

Then, there are multiple methods to help you increase your self-esteem, such as affirmations, journaling, and exposure therapy techniques. You can learn more about them in these articles: If you are done with step #1, you may have already found the behaviors and traits of yours that push people away. We discussed above that there are many aspects of poor communication skills that can leave someone without friends. You may need to work on your ability to look friendly and interested or improve your listening skills. Maybe it’s your negative mindset that makes those around you pull away. Or you could simply look too aloof and need some practice with your body language. Communication skills are complex, but it’s possible to improve them, and the most important thing to do is to practice as much as you can. So if you are an introvert or loner, make sure you don’t isolate yourself too much and don’t shy away from situations where you could interact with others. You can learn how to improve your verbal and non-verbal communication skills in the articles below: I hope that this guide has helped you understand why you don’t have friends and what you can do about it. But don’t forget that the most important thing is to stay loyal to yourself. I have no friends except for a couple of people I’ve known since my school days, and I’m fine with it. Maybe instead of rushing to meet new people, you just need to do some work on your self-acceptance to be able to see things in this light too.

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