Re: Frivolous Poll - how do you answer "how are you?"

[Wanda Phillips <wanda -dot- jane -at- gmail -dot- com>]

It depends on the audience. <G>
I answer differently each and every time, navigating in microseconds
the complex maze of *who is asking*, *how am I?*, *what do I want to
reveal*, *how goofy do I feel*, and more. For example, when I
encounter our CEO in the lunch line and she says *how are you?* I
always answer *As well as could be expected under the current
circumstances, thank you. And you?*
It dep

On 6/13/05, Bill Swallow <techcommdood -at- gmail -dot- com> wrote:
> 
> Of course you could always answer with something completely random,
> like "Quite tasty with a wedge of lemon". ;-)
> 
> I decided to do some research. I asked a bunch of people in my office
> how they were. I got a few "OK, how are you?" replies, some said
> "good", no one said "fine", no one said "well", quite a few commented
> on how muggy it's been, and about 4 or 5 just made guttural noises.
> 
> Given this limited bit of research, I hypothesize that no one cares
> how you answer the question; it's just small talk.
> 
> On 6/13/05, Barry Campbell <barry -dot- campbell -at- gmail -dot- com> wrote:
> >
> > I almost always say "Fine, thanks, and you?" even when I'm not.  It's
> > just a social convention.
> >
> > Once, though, during an especially frustrating (and long) workday
> > featuring persistent network problems and a building-wide air
> > conditioning failure, I answered the question: "Contemplating
> > homicide, then suicide.  How are you?"
> >
> > I don't recommend that approach.
> 

-- 
Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which
differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people
are even incapable of forming such opinions.
Albert Einstein

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