Asking questions for reasons other than wanting to know the answer has many functions.

• Buttering up a superior: "Your paper was fascinating, can you tell me more about boringology?"
• Requesting agreement: "Is this what we want for our children?"
• Softening a challenge: "Might there be a mistake in equation 4?"
• Softening a request: "Can I get a pint of lager, please?"
• Challenge: "Are you stupid, or what?"
• Bonding: "So, what do you do?"
• Formality: "How is it going?"
• Ceding the floor: "So we should be done by June, don't you think so, Alice?"

If you don't think that's valuable, that casts doubt on your ability to judge social awareness in others.