And honestly? This might be the most San Francisco thing we've ever heard.

We live in a city packed with brilliant people who can architect distributed systems or debate the finer points of zoning policy but completely short-circuit when someone at a house party asks, "So what have you been up to?" The guy even copped to attending "an awkward nerd school" — a detail that probably applies to half the city's population.

What's interesting is that he's not looking for sympathy. He wants coaching. He wants to practice. That's a refreshingly market-oriented approach to a personal problem: identify the skill gap, find the right professional, put in the reps. No wallowing, no blaming society. Just: "What kind of professional am I even looking for?"

The answer, it turns out, is several. One local suggested therapy, noting that what he's describing sounds a lot like social anxiety — which, fair. Another pointed him toward Toastmasters, the old-school public speaking club with an active SF chapter. One resident went outside the box entirely: "I'm going to suggest a dance class. If you physically move with confidence and you have to interact with partners, it really helps."

There were also suggestions for CCSF interpersonal communication courses, pickleball groups, and other "controlled social environments" that are lower-stakes than a cocktail party full of strangers.

Here's our take: this guy doesn't need the government to fund a social skills initiative or a new city program with a $2 million budget and a deputy director. He needs a therapist, maybe a class, and a willingness to be uncomfortable for a while. The fact that he's already thinking about it like a skill to be acquired rather than an identity to be mourned puts him ahead of most people.

The real lesson? Nobody learned this stuff in college. Some people just fake it better than others. The food table is underrated anyway.