Like anything else, social skills just takes practice. A lot of practice. I've read probably over a hundred books on self-help, sales, influence, social skills of all sorts. Ultimately the conclusion is that meeting people and socializing can be scary, but, it's an irrational fear it gets better and easier with practice. It's less about being right or saying the right thing all the time, and more about having a quick reaction to what to say and connect with people on an emotional level. It is all about practice. If you work at a company that has a sales team and you ever wonder how they're so good at being witty, funny, or being liked, just remember that it took them a lot of practice. They're probably on the phone all day long, and I can guarantee you that for most of them it was really hard at first too. Eventually you just get better with people because your brain will adapt, so just put yourself out there.
I think you're grossly underestimating the nuances of human interaction that are developed from ages 2-10. I can tell you first hand watching a friends kid who was home schooled trying to interact with his public school peers that they are like a fish out of water. To suggest as an adult you just need "dive in" to figure out social cue's is... unfairly simplified.
Can you potentially figure it out over a long period of time if you happen to hook up with some folks that are very understanding and tolerant of "odd" behavior? Sure... but you're talking years and years and years of interaction to recoup those lost social skills.
Yes, literally years of practice that Laurent is completely missing out on. Even with all those years of practice, lots of people come out of school unable to socialize properly.
