I was told that, as a child, after attempting to get someone’s attention and not being heard, a parental unit instructed me to “yell loud”. I reportedly then inhaled deeply and yelled “LOUD!!”
If the theory of Nurture vs. Nature is to believed, I’ve always been hardwired to take everything as literally as possible–I’ve simply gotten better at then considering alternative meanings before acting. To this very day I still pause when a coworker asks how I am, as my brain first processes my current state of health and mood before the subsystem responsible for societal norms takes control and says ‘Fine, and you?’. Meanwhile my logic subsystem rolls its eyes at the inefficiency of unvalued queries.
It’s really no surprise I’ve spent my career interacting with computers whenever possible, and with humanity only when I’m present to entertain.