Great article, John. In the 90s, I'd have recognise a bit of myself in this. The cure? Through a series of strange events I ended up running a restaurant, where you have no choice but to talk to people. I learnt two things. Firstly, people are just people, everyone from judges to junkies. Sure, there are assholes, but most people aren't. Secondly, small talk is the pathway to big conversations. It's about everyone feeling comfortable.

Now, if the moment presents itself, I'm happy to talk to complete strangers. No, not necessarily going to become friends, but it usually brightens both our days. Then the lights change and we go our separate ways.