> I have a conversation, ask them about their career, about job changes, about hobbies, what they do after work. If you know the subject, skilled people talk a certain way, whether it is IT, construction, sailing.

My experience differs a lot. Many insanely skilled people are somewhat "weird" (including possibly

- being a little on the spectrum,

- "living a little bit in their own world",

- having opinions on topics that are politically "inappropriate" (not in the sense of "being on the 'wrong' side of a political fence", but rather in the sense of "an opinion that is quite different than what you have ever heard in your own bubble", and is thus not "socially accepted")

- being a little bit "obnoxious" (not in bad sense, but in a sense that might annoy a particular kind of people))

What you consider to be "skilled people" is what I would rather call "skilled self-promoters" (or possibly "smooth talker"). "Skilled people" and "skilled self-promoter" are quite different breeds of people.