Yeah, it's different for everyone.

My "counterfactual" is knowing a lot of kids that were home schooled. They were just young weird adults that didn't thrive in most circumstances. There's a reason why even rural agrarian societies found value is putting kids together.

Instead, I actively avoided conversations with my peers, particularly because I had nothing in common with them.

Looking at your own social interactions with others, do you now consider yourself to be socially well adjusted? Was the "debating child in a coffee shop" method actually useful at developing the social skills that are useful in adulthood?

I have some doubts.