There was this girl named Ali. She noticed this boy sitting at the second table on the right. He was handsome, full of piercing muscles. Everywhere he walked, he had a good spirit about him. He was confident. He was christlike. He had the awe, like a god. She was shy around him so she never approached him unless he made a move towards her. She didnt know how to talk to him. She was too shy due to his personality and awe. Over the next few weeks, she had every opportunity, but turned it down, thinking she'll wait for him. But she then got a notice that she was moving to Maine, and she lost the chance to talk to him forever.
The truth is, Ali and Ian were both looking at each other. They both wanted to make moves on each other, but they were too shy to do it and eventually, they lost their chance.
Ali and Ian were potential friends, best friends, or even a romantic couple. But that wasnt meant to be, because both didnt get involved with each other.
The key to getting to know someone and having a successful relationship with someone is getting involved with them, talking to them, interacting with them, sowing good seeds with each other. Eventually you will reap. Ask questions, get to know them. Ask, Seek, Knock. The more you do, the better it gets. Do stuff for them. Care about them, respect them, be honest, communicate. Show them you want to be friends. The higher you are on their trust ladder, the better you are with them. You cant get on it, unless you can talk to them normally, and it goes higher from there, to friend (care, respect, honest, trust, like). The more you do, the more The more you get "involved", and the more the relationship progresses, the better it is.
Everyone expects others to approach everyone, which leaves everyone standing alone. You have to get involved if you want to make any progress. Going up the trust ladder and other ladders with people requires commitment, time and effort. But its worth the ride if its someone you like and love. But both of y'all need to make the commitment, not not you.
But people keep putting walls up and insecurities keep mounting since people develop handicaps, like awkwardness, introversion, shadiness or anything that keeps you from properly liking, loving, trusting or committing. It gets so bad, there is hardly no action, and thus, the relationship eventually falls apart, or it stunts its growth and limits it in a bad way.
Remember, you have to be active, not passive in your involvement or to be involved. You cant go around doing nothing, so some seeds and watch them grow. Seeds are any action, and remember, it takes a series of successive actions in order to get better and deeper with people. And Relationships are a Tulane Highway, so make sure that both are doing their job. One person shoudnt expect the other to come and the other person shouldnt expect the other to come, they should both just meet and talk.
See my note on handicaps for things that keep a person from talking with the other person.
Of course involvement doesnt determine friendship, your bond does, but involvement helps develop the bond, without it, your bond is either stunted, or it falls apart, or never happens. Many people make the mistake of joining clubs or being active in order to have friends, a friendship is not based around a group, its based around each other, and the mutual affection theroef. However, friends can be fertalized and made no matter what.
Some people dont have much friendships because they dont want to get involved with too much people, or get hurt, or dont have time, or cant fit you in. Of course a friendship is bonded through like, love and trust, but commitment is a vital factor to keeping it going. This is why people say "its not you", because its them, they cant fit you in and they are the one having the problem.
Also, people tend to use the pick-up line "I dont know you", to excuse them out of knowing you. Its an excuse, not a reason.
And finally, relationships are two way street, so when your involved with them, make sure both of them are equally involved, and its not just you or them. Relationships are not one lane, they are a Tulane Highway. Both need to be sowing seeds to keep the bond flowing. Thats how friendships are fertilized, grown and kept, since both people are maintaining their house (relationship). If its one way, theres a problem. Involvement is both. You dont want to be like Ali or Ian, who is "waiting" for the other person.
Here are some tips that should help you get more involved:
1. If its a group, be active, not passive. Get involved more. Put yourself out there for others to come. Act like you own the place.
2. Do not be so focused on trying to make friends. You build your own culture, let others come to it. If your trying so hard to make friends, you will fail. Just let people come to it. Remember, relationships are two way. People will come to you, or you will come to them or both. It happens one way or another. Thats how people meet, grow and get involved with each other. If people are just not coming to you at all, then you need to at least try to talk to people, if they dont, try going somewhere else.
3. Go and meet the person. The least they can do is not say anything. Then let the successive actions start if it goes that far. You develop the bond through involvement. Sadly, many relationships dont go that far.
4. Start hanging out, talking with them. Learn about them. Interact with them to get a feel of who they are. If y'all can like, love, trust each other enough to be friends, then go for it. Most of your relationships will be acquaintances, because all you've don't is be involved.
5. If friends, start being involved with them because they are a friend to you. Start maintaining that bond. Sow good seeds. Take good care of these, for these are very rare.
6. If your friends seem to me like they arent operating in like, love, trust and commitment to you, they may have a handicap or a wall up. Examples are Shadiness (Not Displaying Skill), Awkwardness (Lacking Skill), and Introversion (Shyness). Deal with these friends.
7. Stay involved with them. True friends would still like, love, trust and talk/communicate with you, regardless of distance or elements . So dont buy into that bullcrap that they are not your friend anymore because they moved away. People move on, but true friends stay the same, unless major changes cause their bond to not work.
8. Be consistent in involvement. That way, your friends will trust you.
9. Its easy to be shy because of rejection, problems, awkardness etc. Dont let Satan keep you from positive relationships. Dont bring in baggage, and dont let those circumstances control how you talk to people.
10. If people seem to not want your time, then dont waste your time with them. They dont deserve it. Remember, you are not for everyone 
11. If you are having problems getting involved with the person, then you have a handicap, you may like, love and trust this person, but you dont know how to commit to them. The trick is to help them be better friends with you.
12. People who use the "I dont know you" line are really telling you that they dont want to know you. You CANNOT get anywhere or even get involved by saying "I dont know you". You get to know them through involvement.
Dont be like Ali and Ian who blew their chances, you can start fresh with people today. Just ask, seek and knock and you will get anywhere with people. And remember, its a Tulane Highway, so things need to be both ways.
Keep asking, seeking, knocking (being involved) and you will go as far as you want to be.