I know we’re kind being pedantic over the wording of a meme, but you absolutely can “go up to people” if the circumstances are right. Context is important, and most people aren’t going to be in the mindset to make friends if they’re outside of a “friend making context” like a bar/party/event so you probably shouldn’t just walk up to people at random. But making a small comment about a shared interest or experience that organically turns into a conversation can legitimately happen anywhere. Just respect people’s boundaries.

I mean, “be nice to them” doesn’t mean “hide who you are and pretend you like everything they say and do when you don’t.” Treating people with respect as individual human beings (“be nice”) really is the starting point to any healthy relationship.