That's a fair point but it's hard to take seriously the suggestion that someone who puts more thought into a response isn't likely to have a more insightful ans

That's a fair point but it's hard to take seriously the suggestion that someone who puts more thought into a response isn't likely to have a more insightful answer. I cut out most filler words out of my vocabulary years ago as I find them annoying but occasionally do use the "mhm" hum. That said, I will fully admit I'm a traditional nerd at heart and do lack intuition for nonsensical, "how's the weather" conversation. But if you want to speak about something meaningful? A conversation that would flip the roles and leave the majority of the public at a loss for words, you would probably prefer to speak with me. Most of my social interaction is at places where naturally curious people gather (like user groups / meetups). This is why in most situations I let most people do the talking, and I focus on questioning them. I can judge what level they're on intellectually and as a bonus, people like to talk about themselves.