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A few years ago, a single friend of mine did what many only dream of: she stopped swiping . She was still seeking a romantic partner, but she was tired of wading through the equivalent of an Olympic-size swimming pool of new strangers each day to try to find one. Instead, she asked her friends to set her up with people they knew, betting there was someone already within her larger circles who might make a better match. She wound up on several dates with "great people," she told me recently, and while there weren't sparks with every single one, "it was all positive experiences, made richer because of our mutual connections."

"The apps are just so overwhelming, especially as a woman," she continued. But your friends know you and know what you're looking for,

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