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Speed friending is a social activity designed to help people make new friends quickly through a series of short, structured conversations. It’s similar to speed dating, but the goal is to find platonic friendships rather than romantic connections. Participants engage in brief, one-on-one chats, often with the help of icebreaker questions or prompt cards, to get to know each other.
The concept isn’t too different from speed-dating — quick, five minute conversations to test the waters and see if a connection could be the start of something beautiful. These events are an increasingly popular way to make new friends, and allow for people to make real-life connections in an increasingly isolated digital world. In London alone, hundreds of speed friending events, such as Gurl PWR, Gofrendly, and Bumble BFF have cropped up.
What is Speed Friending?
Speed friending is a social activity where participants have short conversations with multiple people in a limited time.
It’s all about quickly connecting with others through interesting questions and brief chats.
The goal? To find potential new friends or acquaintances with shared interests.
To learn how to facilitate speed friending questions, see this article for the how-to guide.
39 Speed Friending Questions
These questions are curated from various sources, including:
- The New York Times’ 36 Questions That Lead to Love (adapted for friendship)
- Popular icebreaker card decks and games
- Social psychology research on building interpersonal connections
Here’s a list of 39 questions to get those conversations flowing:
- Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?
- What’s your idea of a perfect day?
- For what in your life do you feel most grateful?
- If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be?
- What’s your most treasured memory?
- If you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living?
- What does friendship mean to you?
- What roles do love and affection play in your life?
- How close and warm is your family?
- How do you feel about your relationship with your mother?
- What’s your favorite book and why?
- If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?
- What’s the most interesting fact you know?
- If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be and why?
- What’s your go-to karaoke song?
- If you could instantly become an expert in one thing, what would it be?
- What’s your favorite childhood memory?
- If you could live in any TV show universe, which one would you choose?
- What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
- If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
- What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?
- If you could learn any language fluently, which would you choose?
- What’s your favorite way to spend a lazy Sunday?
- If you could have dinner with three people, living or dead, who would they be?
- What’s the most unusual food you’ve ever eaten?
- If you could be any age for a week, what age would you choose and why?
- What’s the best trip you’ve ever taken?
- If you could master any musical instrument, which would you pick?
- What’s your favorite movie of all time and why?
- If you could live in any period of history, when would it be?
- What’s the most interesting place you’ve ever visited?
- If you could have a conversation with your younger self, what advice would you give?
- What’s your favorite way to relax after a long day?
- If you could instantly become a master of any craft or skill, what would it be?
- What’s the most beautiful place you’ve ever seen?
- If you could have dinner with any fictional character, who would it be?
- What’s the most valuable life lesson you’ve learned so far?
- If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
- What’s your favorite way to spend time in nature?
Making the Most of Speed Friending
To get the most out of your speed friending experience:
- Be open and genuine in your responses
- Listen actively to others’ answers
- Follow up with related questions to dive deeper
- Keep conversations light and positive
- Respect others’ boundaries and comfort levels
- Have fun and don’t take it too seriously!
Conclusion
Speed friending is a fantastic way to meet new people and potentially form lasting connections.
With these 39 questions in your back pocket, you’re all set to have engaging conversations and discover common interests with others.
The key to successful speed friending is being open, curious, and authentically yourself.
Key takeaways:
- Speed friending involves short, focused conversations with multiple people
- Use thought-provoking questions to spark meaningful discussions
- Be open, genuine, and respectful in your interactions
- Have fun and approach the experience with a positive attitude
- These questions can be adapted for various social situations beyond speed friending events
So go ahead, give speed friending a try! You never know – your next best friend might be just a question away.
