How Are You?

In our society it is very common to be greeted with a “how are you?” This has to be one of my biggest pet-peeves. I think it has to do with the fact that 95.7% of the time when people ask me how I am that’s all they are doing is just asking, hoping I’ll respond with a “I’m good, thanks” I can’t help to think to myself though. Why do we say we are good, fine, great, or dandy instead why don’t we tell the truth. Now, maybe the truth is you are fine but i suppose maybe it’s my want for more information that makes me wonder WHY are you fine, WHAT makes you good. I often try to refrain from using the phrase how are you for this very reason.

So How are you?

4 Comments

  1. Jeanette Jeanette
    at

    you are so right! i was thinking about this very thing yesterday. i asked someone how they were, and they said “fine.” so i asked them “why are you fine?” maybe i should have phrased that a little differently but i was sincere in wanting to know why they were fine, what made this day good for them?! the response i got, from him and a few others was, “geez jeanette… isn’t he allowed to have ‘fine’ day?” people are so unused to having to explain why they are “good” (even if they’re not) that when asked, they take it as a challenge or something.

  2. Amanda S Amanda S
    at

    Because if you tell the truth, it makes people uncomfortable. When guests tell us their days suck or they are depressed or everything in the world is horrible, what do we do? Stand there awkwardly like "okay…that sucks…uh…" 🙁

  3. Niki Niki
    at

    I know how that is. It’s one of my pet peeves too. Oh, especially when they ask and then just walk away before you have a chance to respond. Or if you’re like “what about yourself?” then they ignore you. I’d like to hear more from people instead of “good.” I am so going to ask people why they’re having the kind of day they’re having. We could start a revolution!
    🙂
    Missing you Brandon!
    ~niki

  4. Felix Felix
    at

    It’s true, asking, “How are you?” is a better question as a lead-in to a lengthly conversation. This is related to a lot of what I see as societal problems— staying inside instead of eating dinners out on the porch and hailing neighbors, increasingly being bound to cars and workplaces rather than spending time building community.

    Another good one is “What’s up?” or “How’s it going?”

    Don’t ask me if you don’t want to know!

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