Whether he is smart or not is almost irrelevant: we are all human and share the human experience, smart or not. If you can’t relate to other humans even though we all share the same experience, you’re not trying or you need training.
Books like “How To Win Friends and Influence People” might be for him. To some, the principles in that book are natural and obvious. Others, like this guy, might find it a learning experience.
The key message throughout that book is that you have to be sincere in your interest. You can fake interest in what someone wants to talk about, but it takes time away from perusing genuine interests. Sometimes you can fake it until a genuine interest takes hold, but I think people who don't gel with most pop culture would be there if they were going to.
Books like “How To Win Friends and Influence People” might be for him. To some, the principles in that book are natural and obvious. Others, like this guy, might find it a learning experience.