Ignore the social cue or make your own.

When walking by people in the hall instead of a how are you, just bug your eyes out and make a face.

Even worse, I cracked the small talk code and now people won’t leave me alone or stop talking to me. I am routinely trapped in a prison of my own making. Any wish to be good at small talk is a wish on the monkey’s paw.

C++ feels that way, too.