Hi vc, and welcome.

It's funny that you think of yourself as being a "machine" (or at least you put so much stock in your friend describing you as such), when it seems as if what you want the most is a friend and/or companion to confide in. That's the most human thing in the world to want.

I don't know where I'd be right now if it weren't for my wife. I don't make friends easy, and have changed so much over the years that the friends I do have, I typically lose (people usually don't change with you). I am lucky that my wife and I met and "hit it off" quite quickly, though we were good friends for a while before we took things up a notch.

Apprehension about talking to women is also one of the most normal things a guy can feel. It's tough...sometimes very tough...to meet someone and strike up a conversation and make a new friend or girlfriend. Heck, there's a reason why marriages were arranged in most societies for so long (well, there are a lot of reasons, but I think that that's one of them).

Oh, and yes, we do live in disturbing times, so noticing that is not strange at all. Beleive me, you're as human as can be.

If you want tips on how to meet and make friends, there are plenty of people here that can help you. One thing I might advise to post in one of the more popular forums, such as the relationships one...that will also give you the advantage of getting advice from the ladies of this forum, which can be invaluable for this sort of thing.