Jul 07, 2023
222
The answers to your questions probably don’t exist here. Just go and see for yourself what connections lie ahead.
I don’t want to give away too much as to respect the 222 organizer’s efforts to keep the entire thing “exclusive” and maybe a bit elusive in some ways. But I do want to vaguely summarize my experience as a first time attendee of a 222 meetup, event, experience, or whatever it’s called.
The 222 Experience is real. I know I know, it’s hard to tell exactly what 222 is. The website is vague, the instagram honestly seems a bit culty, and then when you do sign up, who knows if you’ll ever be accepted? And then you have to pay to make friends? I didn’t know if I was joining a cult or if I was going to get scammed out of more money. If you are hesitant with the entire setup, it’s probably even harder to trust this random stranger who blogs about how sad they are, but I promise you it’s all real, the people were real, the venues were real, and the experiences had were very real.
We are not really strangers. From my experience, as well as the 20+ people I talked to throughout the night, the entire “matching algorithm” does a pretty fair job in placing people together. I couldn’t figure out exactly what I had in common with my group, but it was comfortable conversation from the first minute. On top of that, we are looking for the same thing, right? Even if we had nothing in common, the desire to make a friend is what brought us together.
Close friends beyond 222. I met two really cool people who I would love to hang out with more often and build a friendship with. I’m not too sure what their feelings on it are, but I do have their numbers and we are planning something as I type this so fingers crossed that that actually happens… I know how flaky LA can be. I am confident I will meet more people like this at future 222s.
No judgement. It genuinely felt like there was zero judgement in the air. Looking at the group of 222ers at the after-venue, it felt very diverse and everyone was just mingling. There was also this expectation of “everyone is here to make a connection” so people were going around talking to new people left and right. There were people there that I didn’t fully vibe with, but even then it was nice talking.
Everything felt safe and comfortable. I can’t speak for everyone, but the guys in my group were not after girls and really just wanted to make friends. Take that how you want to take that.
My general (blanket) advice and thoughts on human connection
Making friends is hard, especially if you haven’t done it since you were in school. I promise you’re not the only one thinking this. Never feel shame for hitting up an old friend or constantly being the one to invite people out. We appreciate people like you who take the initiative. Also, the more opportunities you take the make new friends, the closer you’ll become to finding your next bestie (if that’s your goal).
When you meet someone, be yourself. Don’t just introduce your name; introduce your personality and put who you are on display. If they like it, the conversation will feel comfortable, if they can sense you’re not the friend they want in their life, move onto the next, it’s okay. When you continue to put who you really are out there, you’ll attract those who are similar to you or those that like you for you, and those are the best friends to have around.
If you’re attending 222, remember it’s a platform for connection. Every individual is there to meet others, don’t be afraid to walk around and get to know everyone you can.
For some context, I am broke and sober and never felt unsafe or uncomfortable at this event.