I’m a woman and I’ve noticed that making real friendships as an adult feels way harder than it used to. People are friendly at work or in social settings, but most interactions stay very surface-level and don’t seem to go anywhere.
Everyone seems busy, tired, or already settled into their own friend groups. I try to initiate plans and keep conversations going, but I don’t want to feel like I’m forcing connections that aren’t there.
Is this just a normal part of adulthood, or am I missing something socially? How do people build meaningful friendships without feeling awkward or desperate?