And it has all kinds of implications and context and shit.
How the fuck am I supposed to tell what's just people doing things at random and what's a part of all-singing-all-dancing-shit-show the neurotypicals call "social norms"? Down with NTs.
Honestly while it's really fucking annoying that refusal to participate could result in some silly neuronormo interpreting a completely innocuous action as an offense, and it can cut you off from social shit, I think it's basically the only way. The same button never does the same thing twice. Screeching rn.
This was like the first NT social cue i learned and know it very well and have to do it almost daily and I still fuck it up constantly. My brain automatically always wants to answer it literally it takes so much mental overriding to not do that but the "correct" answer always comes out stilted then i forget to ask it back
I have a weird problem where I often know (from experience) what the expected cue probably is, but I often can't bring myself to perform it when prompted by social pressure. It's like a laughtrack in a very unfunny sitcom: the cue is to laugh, and I refuse.
Internally i know what i am supposed to do but externally I'm now stunlocked while my brain cycles through 500 dialogue options and then i end up saying something really out of pocket and weirding people out. I don't care so much anymore but it made my 20's unlivable