I feel like I will never come across anyone who thinks in the way I do, and am alone but not lonely. I feel alien compared to most people. Either I make observations and connections beyond what others do, or I'm stating what is obvious to them and wondering whether folks actually think it's brilliant or they are 'handling' me because I'm a fool, I don't know. I can see both possibilities, and more. I can make just about anything I put my mind to, have a skill for deductive and inductive reasoning and have a moderately powerful intellect, but it's not anything newsworthy. I know that I'm not anything special, that there is always a bigger brain, a better person, someone cooler, and thinking about the Dunning-Krueger effect does my head in. I have a murderously sharp wit when I manage to live in the moment, and it is the first skill I reach for when someone actively pursues me, my favour, or friendship too quickly or in a transparently exploitative way and I will burn them with no mercy. I am more concerned with my own theories of making an artificial intelligence, a new practical special effect for my filming friends, or the history and timelines to a handful of fictional universes that, if I can pull my finger out, will host a number of stories in published books. Despite being a working and paid actor, the other job I work to pay the bills is a necessity, and dealing with most of the people and customers is mind numbing and soul-destroying, which negatively effects my performances. I have been harassed by co-workers who have been unnerved by my presence, who sometimes ask mockingly that they be spared when I inevitably 'go on a rampage'. I could never do that, and it hurts me more than anything to think someone believed me capable of such a thing. I'm an INTJ, not a psychopath. And on top of that, I'm a straight-passing bisexual, with a whole bunch of other concerns to go with it.
When somebody asks me, "How are you?" and obviously expect an answer other than just "Good.", I want to reply, for example, "I'm disappointed with the efficiency of traffic lights. With the right infrastructure, this city could have a much higher economic output, and they are just one aspect that needs to change.", which they could take at face value and at the same time understand that I am expressing frustration at being late, observe how tired I am based on my demeanour and the current time plus my venting about something I cannot control, and either reciprocate my obvious effort to engage them (which is my tell that I actually give a damn about what they think) by giving me another perspective on the matter or giving me a sporting debate as to why I'm wrong. I'd even happily settle for a reply of "Traffic lights... Need to change... Ah! Ah, I see what you did there!", followed by a battle of puns, dad-jokes, and un-jokes. But by the time someone has made their approach and asked, I have them pegged pretty good. I know what they want, what they stand for, and how they react to certain situations.
With most people I come across, I know they will just take my answer, whatever it may be, as a sarcastic illustration of "Fuck off, don't talk to me.". So my only appropriate answer is "Well, thanks, and yourself?"