Not the OP, but I relate to the quoted comment. Maybe my experience will give you some insight. Essentially, engaging in idle chit-chat is very stressful to me

Not the OP, but I relate to the quoted comment. Maybe my experience will give you some insight. Essentially, engaging in idle chit-chat is very stressful to me. It is far more stressful than anything else I do on a daily basis. In the past, I would feel physical fear when I saw someone I knew in a public place. Oh no, they're going to talk to me. The reason for this is simple: I'm not good at enjoying conversation with people. I have trouble relating to people, so I have to struggle to be conversant. It becomes a game of "what should I say here", or "what do they mean by that", or whatever. I know that if I just said what I wanted I would seem antisocial, so instead I have to carefully mediate my responses. It's very tiring! Having said that, this is really an issue with myself, not with the other person. I would never think to call someone a "fool" because they like to chat. The fool is the person who can't relax and enjoy a conversation.