I came up with a strategy in middle school that actually turned out to work very well. My baseline thinking was that if you spend enough time around people, they’ll eventually get used to you being around and you’ll be integrated into the group as a “friend”. So I just had to figure out a way to be able to put myself into the “popular” group for a long enough time that this could happen. Rather than just try and force my way in right away, I stood aside and subtlely but thoroughly studied their body language, common phrases, and general mannerisms. I saw it as each group having their own closed off language that, when learned, acted as a catalyst for group acception. Eventually I knew them well and began talking to them in casual situations whenever I got the chance, got them to notice me. I came up with jokes and conversations ahead of time laced with phrases and mannerisms that I would recite to them. I made them think I was like them. Then I would wait for opportunities to talk to multiple at once, then more, until eventually I was spending time with them all at the same time. I continued this long enough until I could begin inventing new mannerisms and phrases so that they would try to mimick me. That’s when I knew I was officially part of the group, because I wasn’t just an idle member anymore, I was a contributor which meant I held an integral role in that group. But the thing is, the real me wasn’t popular, only the facade me was. If I were to be myself, people still would call me weird and nerdy. I needed to feed them a lie they would believe.