I think the problem here is you seem to be seeing other people as a means to fill your emotional void first and foremost. How they can validate you and "see you the way you want to be seen". It's natural to want validation and to be seen authentically. But the vibe I get from this is that you're seeking approval and connection from EVERYONE because of how lonely you feel. The problem with this is that your encounters with people become about what they can do for YOU (make you feel better) than about them.

All the friendships and romantic connections I've made in life have come from being genuinely curious about other people, and sharing what I find to be interesting and exciting about life, with people who find similar things interesting and exciting. My friends do mutually validate each other but that's not HOW we became friends in the first place.

The fact you find it so hard to make connections with people makes me think it's partly because of this. People can sense if your main reason for wanting to spend time with them is to make you feel better about yourself. The best tangible advice on how to make friends is to find things you're genuinely interested about in life, and go find people with similar interests, and share your thoughts/feelings on those interests with them. And in the process be curious about their lives. They will start to open up. You then can open up. And boom - intimacy achieved. Friendship first, but romance works in a similar way.

BTW feel free to add this to another snarky "your singleness advice is terrible part 5" if you like. No doubt you can find a way to explain how anything other than "damn that sucks I guess you're forever alone huh" is patronising.