How do you answer, "How are you?" Options

[*mipadi*]

I noticed something recently: whenever someone asks me "How are you?" or "How's it going" or "How're you doing?" or some related question, I invariably answer the same way: "Pretty good." I do it without even thinking. I can be having an awesome day, and I still answer "Pretty good." I can be having a rotten day (which is rare), and I still answer "Pretty good."

And furthermore, most days are just fine. "Pretty good", it seems, is ambiguous--people sometimes take it to mean that the day isn't great, but isn't bad, either. I probably should be at least answered "Great" or "Really good" as my default answer.

But to the point: do you have a different reply each time someone asks you that question that actually tells them how the day really is going, or, like me, do you just have a single answer, no matter how bad (or good) the day is?

[Nicolatofu]

usually I say "Great!" even if my day has been horrible. I am not one to show my emotions very clearly.

[jeSs1cA]

No matter how bad or good my day is.. I always say
"I'm good, how are you?"

[KELLYYY]

I always say, "Good."

..

[monxcheri]

it depends on my mood and who i talk to..

+ if i'm talking to a stranger, i usually say "good" or something positive
+ if i'm talking to a close friend or something, i'm usually honest and say whatever has to be said

[sharerol]

I always say, "Good."

..

Same heree.

[Im So Vain]

I have no difficulty replying I just say: "Im fine" or "good".

[krispy_kreme333]

i always say "Just fine." or "Fine." no matter how good or bad my day is.

[mai_z]

I say "great" by default unless it's my bf, in which case I might tell the truth. I don't ususally ask how the other person is though....maybe I should...

[emazing]

Fine, okay, fantastic, good, etc. There's not much I could reply with that question.

[[Scr3amin][Horro...]

i lie.
G-R-E-A-T .

[EXPLO5ION]

I always reply with okay, even if my day had been the best ever.

[talcumpowder]

It's usually "shut up". My friends ask me that about eighty times a day. They think it's funny.
If it's not that... Then I'll shrug or say "why do you ask?". I shrug a lot, because I hate talking. I hate that question. You can often see how a person is just by observing them. Or maybe that's just me.

[*stephinika*]

um...depends who i'm talking to 'cause if its one of my close friends i'll actually say "crap" or "great" or something...
otherwise, i think i usually just say "i'm fine/good/okay."

[iiTsDAYNA]

I say. Good. How bout you?

[shutupnlissenx3]

i always say "Fine, you?"

[pshaa.shauna]

I mostly say, "Eh, my heart is still beating so I'm good, you?"

[lovescream]

Pretty much 98% of the time I say, "Good, you?" Otherwise, I'd say, "Bored. You?" Pshyeah.

[pawprints2570]

i usually just say "fine" or "good, you?" or something. and you're so right. i've never really noticed it but it's pretty much automatic...

[Spirited Away]

To someone I know
- If it's been a horrible day: "not so well, but how's yours?"
- If the day's been mediocre: "can't complaint"
- If the day's been great: "awesome, *squeal* guess what?!?!? ... *insert rambles here*.

To a random stranger
One reply all three instances: "great" (with forced enthusiasm on a bad day)

yea... that's me.

[jnukes]

i always respond as " good .. you ? "


but we all know that no one really cares ..


unless someone responds w/ " SUPER DUPER AWESOME !!! " cause then they'll ask why .. or " aughh .. horrbile .. " then they might ask why ..

[Rachel]

Well pretty much look at Fae's answer. That is mine. =]

[technicolour]

I always say Fine. If it someone important though, i'll say "Dandy, and you?" or something like that.

[jackizzle]

when some one says "how are you" to me i usually just say "peachy keen" its something my aunt says so i guess ive just pickedit up. i'll say it even if im having a good day or not. i just like the way it sounds

[2 wordsTomFelton...]

i usually say "im ok how about you?" lol but i show my emotions so if my day is bad i say "horrible" and yea.. but i dont try to make people feel bad for me.

[miss barnes]

i say "i'm alright" or "fine"

[whooooshy]

i usually say "fine" or "i'm alright" then ask how the other person is doing.

[*Azarel*]

But to the point: do you have a different reply each time someone asks you that question that actually tells them how the day really is going, or, like me, do you just have a single answer, no matter how bad (or good) the day is?

"Could be better"; it can always be better.

[*danielle_x3*]

i either say
'fine, you?'
or
'its okay . .and you?'

[inthemudhole]

I usually say the same few things.
Usually "ehh, alright....and yourself?" or "could be better, but not bad....you?

[sadolakced acid]

i glare at them and then they go away.

unless they're hot then i say life sucks and then glare at them.

well i actually i mostly just glare, then say life sucks (unless i'm happy then it's ok), and then the conversation they were attempting to start never happens.

unless of coures i bring up the aliens, but that's just alienatic.

[*RiC3xBoy*]

"Im fine, and you?"

[Nugget]

Good, you?

[fallen_angel1137]

If i'm talking to a stranger or someone i really don't know well or whatever i always say "pretty good..." but when i'm talking to my close friends or parents or whatever i'll answer truthfully.

[misskentucky]

I say fine usually. If it was really good or really bad I say ya know great, bad, really bad, poopy, totally tubular. Yea.

[silver-rain]

Hmm, well unless I'm talking to my boyfriend, I would always say "I'm fine, and you?" no matter how I actually feel.

[*incoherent*]

i just simply say, "im good, how are you?"

[gelionie]

I answer "I'm fine" no matter what.
I don't really know how to answer to "how are you?"...

[osidepinay33]

No matter how bad or good my day is.. I always say
"I'm good, how are you?"

yeah me too

[napoleon034]

fine, you?

[Chii]

i always say i'm fine...because the person who usually asks me that is only asking me for the sake of talking to me to show that he acknowledges my presence. but he's just an ass who talks sh*t about me behind my back and i don't really want to delve into my life with him.

[lilliannnn]

I always say "I'm alright" because I am.

[Gigi]

"Good."

Although it's grammatically incorrect...whatever.

[`SWTWiNKLE3YES]

i say okay or fine

[Caitlin]

usually its just "i'm ___________(whatever i'm feeling), how are you??"
but if i'm talking to a really close friend then its the same thing, just i tell them whats going on.. like if i'm upset, i'll tell them why.

[mouse_3k]

good and you?

I always say that

[mocassinsx29]

"Oh-it's..-*mumbles off*" I feel awkward when asked that because it's usually 1. a relative I haven't seen ... ever 2. some random lady in a store who doesn't really give a crap about my day.

[xlauren73x]

"I'm okay" ; "Pretty good" or whatever i'm feeling..

[sw33t_rouge]

them : how are you?
me: im fine thanks you how are u?

[Blank-OuT]

Wow, I never thought about that lol. I usually reply saying "I'm doin alright." no matter what even if my day was crappy or awesome.

[HongKongDong]

Hmm, I just answer lol. Usually its like "I'm fine, and yourself?" If my day was crappy, i'll tell em I don't feel so well.

[Kenado]

Great if it's a good day.
Great stubbornly.
Or if it's super bad I chide at them.

[she_ninja]

It's horrible..i work retail so my immediate..robotic answer is "Fine, thanks!" it sucks so bad sometimes, but yeah..so do corporations..

[candychica]

I get sooo annoyed when people ask that when they really look nothing like they care. x.x I think it's just me and my bad temper. but yeah. in those cases I either shrug it off or ask THEM the question before answering and get even more annoyed when they answer it normally with no hint of being annoyed ... haha. I'm such a ... I dunno. =p

[BrokenDream]

online, I say I'm fine or great.

In the real world I say good. but depends on the person in the real world. if my day has been crap, I will tell my Mom. but I usually say good to my Grandma, even if my day was bad because she just talks too much.

it's like you explain something, and then you think they are going to stop, and they don't. I love her, but yeah..

[Shana_Kru]

im alright or ive had better days

[Jane Doe.]

I have the same reply for that question.
[ok, good.]

because I don't like saying how I really feel..which is usually crap.

[medic]

I answer James bond like. "Just surviving, just surviving." and no one catches the humor of it and they think I am dien or something.

[angel-roh]

oh so you say the same answer over and over, huh?

hmm... i just say "im fine" or "i guess im ok" :D

[breakingdawn]

I always say "fine" or if I'm feeling ambitious, I may say "good". Yes, I know, I'm too social for my own good.

[shortiiex]

i just say Fine...if there is something wrong i don't like to talk about it

[xsmiles&frowns]

"Terrible, thanks. And you?" =) haha, just kidding.

[toodlepops.]

To someone I hate : Why do you care? B*tch.
Family Members : Okay
Close Friends : Actually, I'm feeling blahblahblah

[misoshiru]

"I'm fine thank you. How are you?"

[sm0kinm0nky]

I usually say "I'm good....you?" and I nod my head

[jue]

i jsut say alright. Even though i might be in a bad mood. I just say it to be polite.

[Eryi]

I always say Good. Then the conversation dies and the end.

[Elvis_IzBack]

well on msn i always start off saying 'hey whatsup?' and every time they say the same exact thing 'nm u?' and its really annoying. When someone asks me that i always start talking about the random things i did that day.. mabe i talk too much tho..

Anyway yeh in real life i just says 'yeh fine' and thats how it starts off..

[maia_dc]

To a stranger- "Good, thanks, you?"
To a close friend- "Well actually... blah blah blah blah blah blah."
To my family- "Okay, I guess... blah blah"

[angelrevelation]

i almost always say 'good' or 'ok' or 'meh'- to friends

[x3chrissyx3]

Either:

"I'm good. How are you?" or "I'm great/fine, thanks, and yourself?"

[Hell-Rell]

I say "its been decent"

[itsARIE]

I usually just say that I'm doing great.
If I'm having a bad day I don't want anyone to know that so i still say the same

*amber*

[banthisaccountno...]

I usually just shrug my shoulders and say "eh..."

yep

[faded23]

it depends on who's asking....
usually good if it's someone i want to get off my back but if it's friends or family i say whats on my mind...unless it's my grandma or something

[pyrochick19770]

I say "fine' or "meh"...

[Aestuarium]

fine, thanks and you?
or
fine, thank you *pause* and you?

[boobooxpp]

i'd say..."eh, not too shabby, nd you?" :)

[parallel]

I just say "Oh. I'm good." or "I'm okay."

[chickattracter]

I do the same thing.
it's ALWAYS im pretty good you?

[seriouslynikki]

I always say, "um..good" or "Okay"

[me1issaaaa]

"I'm good, thanks. How are you?"

[*xcaitlinx*]

I usually say "I'm fine, you?"

[sadolakced acid]

this raises the question of who cares?

i mean if the topic has the potential to be funny, then go ahead.

but do we really need four pages of people saying "pretty good, and you?"

[ichigofan]

lol Honestly when someone DOES ask me that which is rare I usually respond by saying "Why?" and "Whats it to you?" and usually the person changes the conversation or walks away.

[gOODpIRATE]

i always say, "okay". everytime. i'm pretty emotionless at times .

[yummy_delight]

I answer it with a hearty one finger salute.

[sadolakced acid]

stop replying so this topic can die.

[HoodieObsessed]

I say "good"

haha, how boring. And ya, mine doesn't change with my mood either, which is very stupid, but there it is.

[totallyxticxtac]

I always say "Good" ... even if i'm not lol.

[slipper]

yah.. totally. i always say "not bad."

this made me think to actually think before answering that question. thanks :P

[x3_mr_mak]

technically ur supposed to say "i'm feeling WELL" since well is an adverb and good is an adjective


... but who talks like that? a "i'm great!" will do for me

[YourSuperior]

I always say. I'm doing good.

[demolished]

To old people: " it's great "
To normal old people: " it's goood "
to someone my age: " it sucks " or "it's boring"

[cheerbee07]

i usually say "pretty good" or "ok" no matter how terrible my day has been..for some reason i have telling people how i really feel

[sadolakced acid]

the thread was freaking dying. let it die

[jennyjenny]

I respond with "good" if I don't really want to talk about how much life sucks.

But if a friend asks, I'll probably be like "it could be better"

[eli5e]

lol ....it's annoying when ppl at stores ask u that haha... i never know wat to say lol...but i usually end up saying "i'm good"

[*salcha*]

I just usually say "fine" or "bored" or something along those lines.

[Rachel]

ask me today, i will say terrible. broken hearts do a wonder on your emotions