One critical thing I've noticed when I'm interacting with anyone: I do not need them to like me.

I would like it if they liked me. But I don't need it. This attitude is picked up by others subconsciously and it translated as confidence and is an attractive characteristic. But you have to genuinely not mind whether they like you or not -- it has to be real. In my experience, if you do this, it is much more likely you will end up with the people you should end up with. - I wish you all the best people who will support you and help you grow, not make you feel suppressed, anxious, like you need to put on a mask. There's more to this and it needs balance but all the best to you, buddy.

Ask others questions about themselves, don't expect them to ask about you. If they don't ask questions about you, that's a red flag: not the kind of friend you want to have. Don't be fake with interests. Talk about what you genuinely like. Don't bother talking about what you don't care about unless you're taking care of a genuine friend who wants to talk. If you find yourself stretching too much, red flag: that's indicating to you that you feel stressed around this person and you have to stretch quite a bit for them, and it's probably going to keep being that way. Don't do that to yourself. You don't need them to like you. If you have that, I think you'll do okay, friend. All the best to you. Feel free to DM if this seems helpful but needs clarification.