I'm writing this because I deal with a lot of people and have done so most of my life doing everything from sales for many years and retail as well. I just happened upon this site Google'n for off topics and figured I should share my opinion, or observation and see what other people have to say. I don't mean that all people are fake, but most. Most people have different personalities depending on who they are speaking with. Very common is the fake laughing many people do, like everything they hear is the funniest thing.. it's not. Sometimes I feel a little negative toward people but overall I can honestly say I do well in trying to understand other people and why they do what they do, but why can't people just be themselves? I know we live in a very judgmental world, and in the US it is that way. You are constantly judged for who you are and what you have. The 2nd most common question when meeting someone, after their name, is "what do you do?". I do look at cultures of other countries and meet some here in the states and they don't seem to act fake or judge other people like most here do. I'm always myself and personally pride myself to be so. I don't criticize others or judge people for what they have or money they got so i have nothing to hide as far as true feelings with others. Maybe many of these fake personality people have something to hide? Maybe extremely negative thoughts or maybe they just don't function well as themselves.
I can totally relate to your feelings. I share an executive office with the VP in a hospital and he is constantly laughing at almost everything the medical director jokes about. 99% is not amusing at all, but it always helps to kiss up to the boss I suppose. I think for some, that kind of behaviour is a combination of their own insecurities and their desire to advance. When I first meet someone I despise the question "what do you do", how generic and you might as well ask me for a copy of my tax returns. I grew up with conservative values and things like your job or how much you paid for your house were never discussed. Today's society is shot-minded and mostly dummed-down, superficial, and weak. Is there any hope? :)
My biggest problem when it comes to people is I work in customer service, but when I'm out in public I have no idea how to engage in "small talk" with complete strangers. People don't always know what to say. The most common form of communication I hear everyday is "how are you?" that question gets so boring, and agrivating after you hear it 20 times a day. If they really cared how you were doing they would let you finish saying how you felt or what you had recently been up to. When people laugh at things that aren't funny, especially when woman do that, oh man is that annoying. Another thing people do that makes me clench my jaws is when they say thank-you a million times for something, it's like "you're welcome, wou're welcome now shut the hell up!"
I even put myself in a shell because I can't make friends with people very well, especially girls. I can make friends with guys, but usually they just want to go out, so I try to stay away from them too. It's really hard being around people if you aren't a people person, and it's even harder if you are, because then you really have to atleast look like you know what you're doing all the time.
I think you should stop focusing on what you think about other people, and focus on you. Nobody is perfect by any means, people are under pressure to become the "better" them everyday, sadly it's the way our culture has become. As long as you are happy, and you are trying to be an individual then why does it matter what others act like?