Let’s be friends: how I wish I could pull the words ‘dating’ and ‘matchmaker’ out of the business I run! The concept of ‘dating’ is simply meeting new people. Even if you do end up ‘dating’, or in a relationship – or even married! – you are likely to just be friends to start with.
I have started to introduce people to one another by asking them to just think about making friends; the concept of ‘dating’ comes with too much expectation. The more people you meet, the easier you will find it to control your nerves and make rational assessments of people’s personalities and their relative suitability as a ‘match’.
There’s no harm in asking your friends to look out for you, though; everybody comes with their own network of people. Tell your friends that if they know (or meet) someone they think you would get on with, find out if they’re single and see if there’s a natural way to get you in the same place.
But always keep in mind that there’s nothing wrong with making new friends; they can enrich your life and give you new perspectives that will help you on your journey to finding a life partner.