The Art of Showing Up
Priya Sharma
Pulse Team
There's a moment before every social event — whether it's a Pulse adventure or a friend's dinner party — where a voice in your head whispers: 'You could just stay home.' The couch is comfortable. Netflix is calling. And honestly, you're a little tired.
That voice is the enemy of friendship. Because here's what the research consistently shows: the single biggest predictor of friendship formation is repeated contact. Not chemistry. Not shared interests. Just showing up, again and again, until familiarity becomes fondness becomes friendship.
The Mere Exposure Effect
Psychologist Robert Zajonc demonstrated that simply being exposed to something repeatedly makes us like it more. This applies to music, art, food — and people. The colleague you initially found annoying becomes your lunch buddy. The neighbor you nodded at becomes your confidant. Familiarity breeds not contempt, but connection.
Showing Up Is a Skill
Like any skill, showing up gets easier with practice. Pulse members often tell us that the hardest adventure was their first. By the third, they looked forward to it. By the tenth, it was the highlight of their week. The discomfort of showing up is temporary; the relationships it builds are lasting.
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