I think there may be an element of overload avoidance. When you live so close to so many people your choices are to avoid or engage. If you engage you then ha

I think there may be an element of overload avoidance. When you live so close to so many people your choices are to avoid or engage. If you engage you then have to actively limit the level of engagement or risk being swamped, either by too many people or by to deep an engagement. Where I live there seems to be an agreement that interactions are limited to a smile and a hello how are you? The expectation is that you will respond with something positive. Nobody really wants to know your depths of dispare. I have a feeling that if somebody did really respond that they were desperatley lonely then in general most people would engage with a noncommiting conversation.