I have been here for a year and am still as lonely as when I arrived. I made some friends in the beginning but they have left to go back to their home country. I have tried making friends but most of the people I met are toxic/two-faced kind. One year in and 0 friends, I am alone and watch Netflix/TikTok when I am bored. Anyone else in the same position?
In that case you are looking for friends in the wrong places. How old are you?
I am 24. I am searching everywhere for good and nice people.
Because a lot of people - including myself - has come to that realisation. Toxic people are drawn to specific communities, especially communities with many young people and weak leaders.
That is sad to hear but a reality. I just wish there were more caring and open people to be friends with. Hard living in isolation all the time, terrible for you physical and mental health.
“Caring” and “open” are very general terms, and they mean different things to different people. Are you communicating clearly your own understanding of these terms to the people you meet?
I’m sorry that’s been your experience living here so far. I don’t want to generalize, but it’s not an easy country to make friends in. But there are good, compassionate and loyal people out here. And my inbox is always open :)
I have lived here my whole life and I’m much older than you. I have no friends. People are busy with their own things. I have tried socializing in arrangements like the library and so on. Maybe you can check what’s happening around in your area?
We Norwegians get taught to hide our emotions and then also who we are or parts of us. I guess that makes us two-faced. I think that’s why many Norwegians feel lonely and insecure. It also depends where in Norway you live. We are also not taught to polite, and how to talk to strangers.
But I also find most Norwegians wanting to be friendly and helpful, even though there are people to watch out for also.
My best way to get to know people in Norway, is to join on activity I like. But also just start talking to people, sometimes that doesn’t work well, but other times they are happy someone talks to them.
There are different kind of people in Norway like in other countries, but people are more hidden here, I guess, and I think it’s sad, because I think that people often hide the nice and interesting parts of themselves, just showing what they think others want to see. Or they hide because somebody has been mean to them, so then the good people are hiding, and the people who are not so nice, are allowed to win.
But there are many nice and good people here, most people are like that.
Speak for yourself now.