Gah, I know this feeling exactly. I have absolutely horrible social issues. I pretty much avoid most social interaction with people I don't already know. Sadly I sorta do this out of instinct anymore and it probably puts off so many people, and that angers me because I am not a bad person. I try to be a good person, yet I seem to put everyone off..

This world is just insanely harsh on anyone that has social problems.

I'm not sure what I would do in that situation. Sometimes I gotta just suck it up a little. I went to a college briefly where there was a stabbing and someone asked me for a pen, and I am conflict avoidant so I just hand it to them but was uncomfortable and acting monotone prolly, and when he was going to give it back I said keep it. That was in a region where the college had a stabbing when I was still going there but on one of my days off. Before I was a brony, before I even heard of bronies, and Im a closet brony now. All I do is play Osu til my wrists hurt watch twitch youtube or debate here, or some other games.

Another situation is walking around with my cousin who gets bored easily so he goes to all his neighbors to talk and stuff. Half the time I just say nothing, idk much about cars and don't have an interest in them lol. If they talk I'll respond but I won't talk first. But if its someone with more related interests and its not weird to talk about I would be more willing to speak up. Like some LoL player with a vitamin a deficiency said he doesn't eat much cooked food it doesn't have vitamin a like he needs, then I said theres a spice called paprika with a large amount of vitamin a, second most of some list or something and I said its mostly flavorless because its certainly not like cayenne pepper garlic or even black pepper. He thought for a moment then said that's actually a good idea (prolly cuz at my cousin's place people assert their own ideas as good(psychological defense mechanism) rather than saying something from an informed stance).

But I still don't try being social, I was the kid who wouldn't miss a day in school cuz I didn't wanna make up homework, then would be lazy in class playing ds all the time and passing with minimal effort, and not doing any after-school activities.

Can't even drive a car, no relationship ever etc etc.

Just from the title alone I was expecting something different so primed my mind with something like well technically if we look at the world from a certain perspective it is sorta impersonal, think of how much billions of people exist or die every day I don't get sad over that. And that mindset might be better for tasks like ruling a nation or being a politician, but its not going to be better for the common person.

But similar to the mind having logic vs emotion come to different conclusions I have had to do that a lot, mostly some irrational part of me gets paranoid or superstitious interpretations of things I find myself correcting now and then.

Science does say instinct is faster than emotion, emotion is faster than logic, because its closer to the spine, and it uses less information and its been done more often, thus its more likely going to be that way. I wouldn't say rationality is cold, and you still cave in to fear too for instance, there was an alternative such as 'I don't have any cigarettes sorry' then walk away and if they respond you are more well informed, and if he doesn't respond he is more well informed, so you don't need to worry about hurting brony's feelings because he realizes he tried it wrong possibly and to try better next time instead of being self-defeatist. Then also if he has a cig craving, well tough shit, there is more people to bum a cig from, he wouldn't care.

So I think when people get stuck in a rut over this stuff its sorta like a subconscious meme we accidentally got dictated into doing. You gotta critically think at your critical thinking. Bothering yourself over it won't better prepare you in the future, thinking of better alternatives and leaving it at that would.

Also at the second to last paragraph of mine above(third to last counting this one), I should also say to address your fears, know they exist, Without knowing they exist they will be unaddressed and be a presence through the whole decision. You need to remind yourself only angry people stab each other for money whats the harm? Or I am not in a hurry I suppose. But still be prepared to walk away just in case they wanna mug you but its doubtful, who would do it in a recorded parking lot.

But I guess that's less relevant, your fear was through compassion. In which case, would it hurt your feelings? I think compassion half the time is an excuse to psychologically project our emotions onto others. Then again I guess I would mind if I accidentally hurt a stranger randomly. Anyways, how much would it really bother you in that scenario is still a good question, then also ask how much percent of bronies would actually get bothered in such a scenario? But you know maybe he was a social brony, he was going to approach you not vice versa, so it is possible you psychologically projected your insecurities upon him, feeling sorry for him. But I might be overanalyzing, hopefully food for thought either way.

But yeah I think addressing the emotional disturbance by offering a future solution tot he same problem more completely is what can relieve the distress over the scenario.