I'm neurodiverse (ADHD and probable undiagnosed autism), and I actually think social skills within the workplace are important. It would be pretty darn miserable if everyone sat in silence and never spoke. It wouldn't be helpful for team morale or teamwork 🤷 I actually find it sad that people are quite happy to say they aren't interested and don't give a shit about people they see for several hours everyday. I like my work colleagues. We confide in each other, and have each other's backs. I make an effort to get to know anyone new as I want them to feel supported and part of the team. I do work in an emotionally challenging job (mental health nursing), so maybe it's different for us. I love our random office conversations. My team are also very accepting of me (I come across quite eccentric), and don't care when I do things like take my jellycats (special interest) into work. Last week we were all thinking of names for my new pigeon plushie together and dressed him up 😁 I still have good boundaries. We don't speak outside of work, and they're not my lifelong besties, but there is a lot of trust and laughter between us. I actually just don't think it's that difficult to give someone a couple of mins of your time. I appear to the in the minority, but why on earth wouldn't I care about people I see more than my own spouse throughout the week? Not everyone is the same ofc, and it's absolutely fine to be shy and introverted (either through neurodivergence or because that's just your personality), but it makes for a far nicer environment if you do show a bit of interest in each other. In my job, when you're dealing with people who are traumatised, and suicidal, or psychotic, or aggressive, sometimes you need to be able cry or vent to someone who works in the same role who gets it.
Also, I was chronically shy and awkward as a child. I really appreciated extraverted people who would take the time to ask me questions and speak to me. I struggled to lead conversation as a young person. I'm not very good at small talk, but it's more like I just don't know what to say. This guy clearly works hard, so I absolutely would not make him feel bad by having a word with him. If he is someone who just likes to come to work, is not interested in his work colleagues, and go home, that's fine. I find it a bit sad, but that's his choice and his way to live his life. You can't expect everyone to act the same, and as long as it is affecting his performance because he can't work with others, it doesn't matter. However he could just be very shy and struggle socially. In which case, have you tried showing a bit of curiosity about him, and have you taken the time to get to know him? Some people shine when others lead the conversation. Obviously if he seems uncomfortable stop straight away, but some people truly are just shy. It doesn't mean they don't like talking.