Talking to 35 Strangers at the Gym

5 hours ago

The author, feeling lonely after college, decided to talk to strangers at the gym to make friends, despite social anxiety.
Over a month, they approached 35 people, with varied responses ranging from short conversations to forming meaningful connections.
Key successes included making gym buddies like 'the other Asian guy' and an SU student, leading to social activities outside the gym.
The experiment helped the author overcome fear of awkwardness, build resilience, and reduce loneliness, though weekend socializing remains a challenge.

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