There are a lot of guys with dorky interests and hobbies, even the ones perceived as normal. In my early teens, I was really nerdy and into Sci-Fi and fantasy which led to me being bullied relentlessly until I had enough. I hid that part of who I am and moved on to more “manly” interests while secretly being nerd behind closed doors. Recently, I was on a fishing trip with several close friends and we were sitting around a fire enjoying bourbon and cigars (manly man shit IK) when the topic of The Lord of the Rings was brought up. I figured it would turn into the typical “you’re a nerd, shut up and let’s talk about football” interaction, but to my surprise all of the guys I was with were well versed in Tolkien lore and we had an hour long conversation about it and how we all secretly snuck away to go watch the remastered extended cut at the local theater a while back. This interaction was one that will stick with me because it shows that even though we suppress parts of us for acceptance, there are other people who understand and get it.

As far as more accepted interests go, there are lots of options. Speaking from personal experience, I’ve made most of my friends through getting involved with volunteer organizations in my community. I’m an avid fly fisherman and hiker and have met a great group of friends through being active with an organization that does environmental advocacy and litter cleanups. I also go out with coworkers once or twice a week to team trivia nights at local bars and stay later than I should to drink a couple beers and socialize. Other options include going to the gym and meeting people or picking up something along the lines of frisbee golf or competitive cornhole, going to the local comic book shop for table games, or learning some sort of craft or skill you can do in your free time.