Pursuing new female friendships may feel like a daunting task for most. The upsides are obvious- expanding your social circle, discovering new interests, and growing as a person. However, for many of us, the fear of rejection and vulnerability can hold us back from reaching out to others and forming new connections.
We're delving into the heart of these fears and sharing four common reasons why women are afraid to initiate new friendships. From the fear of being rejected and beyond, we're offering practical tips and insights to help you overcome these challenges and live your life to the fullest. Whether you're seeking to meet other like-minded women in a new city, interested in connecting with one of your female colleagues more, or simply looking to expand your social circle, read on!
4 Reasons Why Women May Not Pursue a Friendship:
1. Not knowing how to initiate a conversation
One of the main reasons women may find themselves hesitant to pursue a friendship with other women is simply not knowing how to initiate the conversation. To help overcome this, we offer the "movie trailer method." This method involves being specific and providing a preview of the experience, including a chosen time and place, a scene from the experience, and the intended duration. By doing this, women can increase their chances of receiving a positive response.
2. Fear of rejection
Another reason women may be hesitant to pursue a friendship is fear of rejection. Fear of rejection is normal, but it's important to remember that rejection is a part of life, and it is not a reflection of one's self-worth. To overcome this fear, we suggest focusing on the outcome you desire, rather than the fear of rejection.
3. The feeling that you’ve put all the signals out so the rest should happen organically
Women may be hesitant to pursue potential female friendships because they simply believe it's not their job. It takes more than sending her a few social cues and being ‘nice’ to show her you’re interested in a potential friendship. Even in platonic relationships, it’s important to be assertive and clear on your intentions. Chances are, she may be interested in getting to know you better as well but someone has to make the first move. Why not you? If it was going to happen organically, it would have happened by now. Sometimes we just need a little push.
4. Passivity
Passivity can be a friendship ender before it even really starts. You may not have a Type-A personality, but showing up for the women in your life and the women you’d like to get to know better by planning activities or proactively extending invitations is important. It goes a long way when women see the effort that a friend or potential friend has put into showing them that they matter. Don’t let her do all the work, take initiative and step up because good friendships take time and effort to cultivate.
Pursuing female friendships can be a nerve-wracking experience, but by using the "movie trailer method," focusing on the desired outcome instead of your fear of rejection, being assertive and intentional, you can overcome any hesitation and pursue the friendship you desire.
Curious about best friendship? Check out this video to see what our Friendship Expert thinks about "needing" a best friend.
If you are looking for ways to position yourself to invite new connections into your life, we provide research-based strategies to help you make it happen. Consider booking a one-on-one coaching session with resident friendship coach and expert Danielle Bayard Jackson today.