Response to "are you all right?"

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I'm usually just like "I dunno, OK" when someone asks me "How are you?"

I usually reply with "Yea, I'm fine."

However if anyone tries the "It takes more energy to frown than it does to smile" thing on me I retreive the ace from my sleeve.

"Yea, does it take more energy to point that out than it does to leave me alone? You get outta my face I'll start smiling. The farther away you get the wider I grin. Once you're outta sight the party starts."

Gotta love Bill Hicks for that PRICELESS weapon of words.

"No it doesn't" is shorter, and has the advantage of being true.

"All right?" used to cause me considerable distress when I moved to the UK.

They use it there all the time with some chirpy intonation as a generic form of greeting. In the thousands of times it was said to me I had to go through a fumbled process of working out what the question of "all right" was directed to, or was it even a question. Was it a question on whether I also thought the meteorological conditions were of a favorable character today? Was the lady "asking" the question prompting a conferral of her opinion that her dress was "all right"? Or was it an action statement with a long pause, like "all right...................................................... lets do the following....."?

In the end, the best resolution came when I left the UK and people stopped throwing this verbal rubix cube at me..

When there's nothing wrong, I generally take it as a greating and say "fine" or "good"

When I'm not doing okay, I don't want to say I'm not, but at the same time I don't want to ignore it so I have generally been taking to responding "I'm not actually sure how I am now". If they want to know more they ask, and if they don't then you've replied somehow.

oh yeah! I hate this question. In particular when it comes from people I dont want to enter my private sphere, like my workconsultants and such. If they ask I never reply and emediately change the subject to distract the person in question. Because mostly in their company I dont feel alright and dont want to lie about it and say Im fine when Im not

If my family ask me then its okay, to them I can be honest and say if I dont feel its allright

This question really irriates me. It's totally shallow as it's on the assumption that you will respond "yes thanks" or something of that kind, which is what the person who asked the question expects. It isn't really about wanting to know how you are. I like to be honest and sometimes I say "well actually, not so great at the moment" and it's funny how the person then gets really flustered and uncomfortable, especially if they're a stranger! Well, if you ask the question then you get the answer!

Bad bad bad idea.....




Well being how this question is more along the lines of a superficial question, I just say I'm ok, but it depends on who I'm talking to. Then again I don't have many people tell if I'm alright. It's usually "How are you?" or "How have you been?" or " What's up?"

Now if it's a doctor, I can go on and on......

I must admit "How are you?" is my standard phrase when I open up a conversation on MSN.

The answer I use is usually "I'm fine, thank you." and add "And you?" is they asked first.

My problem is I have a scripted start in my head for every conversation and it usually begins with "Hi, How are you?" or "Hey, how are you on this (comment of the weather)?" I can't start conversations without those 2 lines.

I ignore the question and talk about the last thought on my mind. They want a conversation, they've got it. If they didn't, they shouldn't have asked me

How does that work out for you, Dentu?

Unbelievably good. I come off as such an exasperatingly pompous jackoff that the person just has to know why, and a conversation is jump started. There don't seem to be any far reaching consequences. Some people seem to really like that attitude.

To me this question is usually asked out of genuine concern. If the asking person is worried about you, then it may well lead to a new connection or friendship. If the asker is only worried that you might do something wrong, then you can at least reply or use the opportunity to get some help for yourself (and if you are going to do something wrong, then you need help anyway).

If someone asks this question sarcastically, then you can ignore them or give them a similarly sarcastic reply: "Better than you, Elephant Man." (adjust your reply based on the likelihood you could beat the recipient in a fight)

If I'm genuinely feeling good I'll use the usual reply 'I'm fine.'

If I'm pissed off, sleepy, bored or hypoglycemic, I'll have no problem telling people that either. People should be honest...