I also try to avoid talking to people at work, in the street...I'm focussed on myself.
However, with the closed ones, communication is the key.
We many times fail in listening to the other with open ears.
We interrupt the communication with ours own concerns or with ours own judges many often mistaken. The result is clear. No communication at all, no conection.
One ends up mistaken and the other ends up feeling misunderstood.

Or, we want to offer a fast solution without listening to the other person's feelings.