Maybe he means it
When someone talks to you about their goals, about whether or not they're trying to earn a lot of money or make a difference or stand out or fit in, it's so easy to assume that they have the same worldview and goals as you do, but that they're lying about it. We assume that if our narrative is, "I do this for the money," that when someone says, "I do this for love," we think they're actually lying. If you believe, "acceptance is everything," then when someone tells you that he's more focused on standing out, you think they they're standing out as a way of being accepted. We assume that if someone says they believe in faeries or Norse gods, we know that they don't, not really. Everyone, apparently, is just like us, but lying about it.
Everyone's internal monologue is unique. It changes by culture, by age and by individual. While it's easy to be suspicious of someone who claims to have a different worldview than you do, it's almost certain that they're sincere. Start with that sincerity and work from there.