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Viewing our fellow man as a potential enemy is also modern. In smaller communities this label would only be placed onto other groups
I'm not sure where you got this idea that viewing strangers as potential enemies is modern. My oldest daughter collects folk tales which are full of warnings against the stranger (unless they are elderly women in need of help).
My point, however, was that it was normal and to be expected for many (not all) people to find talking to strangers stressful and that there is no need to consider such a person in need of help. I was not trying to imply that such strangers should be viewed as potential enemies. Risky could simply be the risk of humiliation, such as the young man who completely embarrassed himself trying to chat up my oldest (he had a most unfortunate slip of the tongue).
While I don't think someone needs to consider every random person encountered in a public venue as a conversational partner, I do agree that it's best if the circle of familiar people is larger then one's family. It's good to have people other then family and random people met in public venues to talk to. I also think that it is completely reasonable to exchange pleasantries to those frequently encountered.
Speaking of having no choice in venue:
Yesterday I was at the dentist's office, noting how the seats filled up (people appeared to want maximum distance from each other) and reading on my tablet.
I confess I'm a nervous nelly at the dentist and when nervous I'm awful at making conversation. Just sitting and thinking is also a bad idea. But the point is that no one was happy conversing.
BTW having lived in a apartment with no green space, I consider reading or otherwise spending non-conversational time in a park to be a reasonable activity worthy of being respected. I haven't seen people reading in public other than in parks or during unavoidable waits.
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