man....this is one of those conversations that would be a lot easier to have in real life because there are a lot of dimensions to it, a lot of directions it can take. I'd say first off, you are much more perceptive and insightful than you think, make sure to remember this and give yourself some credit! more insight and more perceptive abilities is exactly what the world needs right now, so to lose someone with those capacities would be a bummer.

second thing, about other people, I tend to take the stance that everyone is capable of a variety of perspectives and actions, its not like there is a hierarchy of capacities, but to take a line from Nietzsche, its generally fear or laziness that prevents them from doing so. its always easier to fit in than it is to stand out. the risk of embarrassment is much less. the risk of alienation from our fellows is drastically reduced when all we do is "fit in". but now that you find yourself in this position of not fitting in, what do you do with it? I think the first thing is to recognize that you'll need some courage to be able to endure this lack of fitting in, because as you've noticed, it can breed lonesomeness in its wake. the second thing is to use this courage to take a stand for ideas/things/issues you do believe are being neglected or are not perceived as important or significant by those around you. this means you've got to have the discipline to harness the ideas (in the form of writing, art, speaking, creating, etc) you are passionate about and express them in a way that is not only convincing (like through reasonable argument) but also appealing (to the aesthetic sensitivity of humans in general), otherwise no matter how awesome your ideas are, they will never be heard, experienced or believed by anyone but you! imagine how many people are in a situation like that and fail to do anything about it. depression, alienation, resentment, anger, sorrow, boredom, banality.....thats the result of a life not lived to its potential. and unfortunately, its a life that is all too common. we see it all around us, which makes it even more probable that we end up "falling" into it. the third, and maybe most important thing, is that to pull all of this off, you've got to be sensitive, receptive, and adaptable to the environment around you, you've got to "read the world" as it is, as it manifests and unfolds, because this is going to help you determine how you can most appropriately express who and what you are, and with it, the kinds of things you consider important. "theres more than one way to skin a cat" as they say, and some ways just won't work with some people/some environments, so its imperative that you are sensitive to this so you can adjust your approach as necessary. this adaptive, receptive capacity is a way you can hold your own ground while allowing it to move and flex a little bit as the circumstances of life change. its also a test of courage and strength that you can endure this change while still maintaining who and what you are, despite all of the shit life will throw at you, because it will be a lot.

as far as how people get into existentialism, and why they do, I'm not totally sure. for me, it was because of Nietzsche, and I ran into him at a time in my life where I was very lonely without really being depressed about it.....like I kinda believed at the time that it was my lot in life to be alone, and if you've ever read him, I'm sure you'll understand why I found a kindred spirit in him......so you could say he helped me through that time because I felt that I wasn't the only person to have those particular feelings for the reasons I did. its a long story that I can't really do justice to here (again, one of those conversations that are better in person) but in reading him, I also became interested in other parts of philosophy and I just never stopped being interested in it. I didn't play video games, I didn't read fiction, so it was kind of like philosophy became a hobby of mine. I don't take it to be a better or worse hobby than anything else, it just has so many dimensions to it that it also turns out to be a useful hobby in general conversation about non philosophical topics....so its "practical" too.

shit....I just typed way too much. I hope it makes sense and fits together.