I finally managed to put my finger on why some ships are just crack cocaine to me. It all boils down to the (pretend-)everyman and the renegade.
The (pretend-)everyman conforms. If consciously or out of habit, they do what's expected of them. They either follow the path they were set on at birth, or their life goal consists of checking all the boxes of what their society defines as success. If they have other desires, they ignore them or try to exorcise them. Secretly though, they're batshit fucking insane.
In comes the renegade, who wears their crazy on their sleeve. The renegade would not, could not conform if you paid them. The renegade defies all expectations and is scorned for it, but they value their freedom more than social approval. Frequently, they are exceptional not only in their denial of conventions but in their skills and achievements, too.
When the renegade and the everyman meet, the renegade inspires the everyman to stop caring about what the world expects of them and to realise their potential as a certified insane person. And the renegade finally finds someone that (if reluctantly at first) matches their freak. And two deeply lonely people are lonely no more.
