Because I don’t, and pretending to feels dishonest. I’ll listen if they want to talk about it, but I’m not going to act interested, and I certainly won’t ask about it on my own. What I’m trying to figure out is whether people actually care, or if they’re just playing a social game that I’m simply not interested in.
I’m probably on the autistic spectrum, which likely explains this to some extent. But that’s not an excuse - being an asshole is perfectly compatible with autism, so before dunking on me, please realise I probably agree with your criticism.
It’s a hamfisted rationalization. Not an explanation.
Would you care to explain how friendship can exist between two people, if one of the parties has absolutely zero interest in the other?
That’s not friendship.
Not really I’m more just presenting an alternate explanation. Don’t mistake me for holding strongly to this opinion, but I do feel like calling OP out as a narcissist or whatever is an unfair snap judgment. People can be different and that doesn’t make them bad most of the time.