Ok, there’s a few things here:
1. When you’re in a relationship with a girl or hanging out with your friends it’s TOTALLY NORMAL to have silences.
In fact this might be something where even the idea of “dominate the frame” or “Do 90% of the talking” can make you more weird. I think I fell prey to this trap and to this do I probably talk too much, as do most PUAs.
Silence is normal when you’re with (girl)friends.
2. When you’re in a relationship the growth comes from sharing parts of yourself with another person.
3. When it comes to befriending guys, the best advice still comes from Captain Jack who said when in doubt talk about a few different subjects, girls, alcohol, making money, and sports.
That advice is tried and true. Then be willing to actually follow up on the phone with guys you’ve met and invite them out to activities.
This is actually a skill as you don’t want to seem like you’re asking him out on a date.
You could start out by trying to make friends with a cool guy, you see on a regular basis like a bartender or doorman.
That way you’ll be able to work on it over time.
Hope that helps.
Now you may be saying, “That list is great and all, but what about the details? How do I acquire all those skills if I’m shy, awkward, and don’t have a lot of time to invest?”…
You’ll find the simple, straightforward answer to that here.