A Mathematician's Greatest Weakness

A very commonly asked interview question is, "What do you consider to be your greatest weakness?" The old school of thought was that an interviewee should cleverly answer this question and turn his weakness into an apparent strength. I shall not follow this approach, but rather shall honestly address this issue.
Stated quite simply, we mathematicians tend to have personalities which deviate significantly from the norm. In social settings especially, we tend to be quiet, introverted, and eccentric to varying degrees. I would thus describe my personality as my main weakness, one which has substantially impeded my career advancement over the years.
I can relate that in my own experiences in education, certain colleagues (who will remain nameless) have raised this issue with regard to myself. I shall make further reference to my experiences in the public schools on a future posting. For now, however, I shall point out that in teaching especially, a mathematician is likely to find his personality is a major liability.
From personal experience, personality has proved a obstacle in many settings. In an interview from several years ago, I recall a hiring manager informing me "You're quiet!" less than one minute into the interview. He made this observation- which was obviously intended negatively- based on my demeanor and social graces, before he had asked me any questions!
On a number of interviews (none of which led to a job offer), the interviewer began the interview by asking me, "Did you find us okay?" My reaction to this question may have been my undoing. To a non-mathematician, this question is probably intended and received as a social ice-breaker. A mathematician's mind works differently, and processes the question as a logical absurdity. Our mind processes something like this: "Illogical!! I am sitting right in front of him, and he is asking me if I found them okay? This question does not compute! Is there an alternative meaning intended in this instance? Attempting to analyze... Illogical! Recommend answering in the affirmative..." This entire mode of thought takes place within 1-2 seconds, perhaps less. However, in that short time the interviewer has noted our look of perplexity, or perhaps sardonic amusement, and that mere facial expression- however brief- is sufficient to cost us a potential job offer.
We learn in modern economic theory that companies will take actions so as to maximize their profits. This same theory would include hiring and maintaining employees based entirely on their qualifications and ability to perform their jobs. History has shown this theory is not altogether accurate. Past racial discrimination is a clear example of this; better qualified people were often declined on the basis of their ethnic and/or religious identity. Nowadays, although racial discrimination has greatly decreased in this country, employers do often consider superficial factors such as personality, demeanor, and the like, and thereby pass up more qualified applicants in favor of less qualified ones because they are more extroverted, charismatic, or the like. Acquaintances in the past have advised me that I should present myself as more outgoing at interviews; in response, this advice is unhelpful as it incorrectly presupposes an ability to maintain this facade every working day.
I have now openly presented the main weakness of myself, and probably that of most mathematicians, as a potential employee. Having accepted this weakness, I now move forward....