What's up? What's going on? How's it going? How are you doing?

[Raziaar]

If you work in an office and interact with dozens of coworkers or other individuals who know you, you get asked these things all the time.

Is there an obligation to actually answer these questions? Is it rude to just say "hello" to somebody who just asked you "how are you?" as part of a first sight morning greeting.

I always can't help but feel it is rude, like I'm ignoring what the person asked me, but common sense tells me that most people are like me in that it's ridiculous to respond in any other way than a simple salutations, rather than actually saying how you are.

I find it annoying that saying "how are you?" is basically the equivalent of saying hello, and you might have zero interest in how the person is actually doing and don't really want them to tell you.

Does anybody understand what I'm saying? Am I just ranting like an anti-social lunatic who doesn't want to tell 25 people every day that "I'm doing good, how about you?"

 

[Vegeta897]

How's it going?
Not much.

 

[MuToiD_MaN]

It's a mandatory social convention, Sheldon.

You can cut it down to two words with "Good. You?" and neither of you even need to slow down your walking pace.

 

[Raziaar]

It's ridiculous, because it's so repetitive and shallow. When you have to do that 25+ times a day, ARGH!

 

[BabyHeadCrab]

start trolling the shit out of people

 

[morgs]

Yeah that'd go down real well at Raz's workplace.

 

[Bad^Hat]

Use this opportunity to dream up some new adjectives.

"How are you?"

"Sumpqtapfubular!"

 

[Raziaar]

It's a mandatory social convention, Sheldon.

You can cut it down to two words with "Good. You?" and neither of you even need to slow down your walking pace.

Usually it's not that simple even.

Maybe I say hi first.

"Hi"

"Good morning, how are you."

"Good, you?"

"I'm doing good today."

"Good."


And if you just say "good" and don't reciprocate by asking how the other person is, which I sometimes do... it feels wrong too, but I do it anyway!

 

[Krynn72]

Most people don't notice or care what your response is. At the end of our reactions people usually say either "thank you" or "have a good night". My response is always "you too" or "no problem". I say one or the other, regardless of what they said, and nobody cared.

"Have a good night" No problem.

 

[Raziaar]

Most people don't notice or care what your response is. At the end of our reactions people usually say either "thank you" or "have a good night". My response is always "you too" or "no problem". I say one or the other, regardless of what they said, and nobody cared.

"Have a good night" No problem.

lol I always feel awkward if I do that. "oh ****, did they realize how stupid I just sounded?"

By the way this thread isn't about my particular workplace or the people I work with or anything. I ****ing love where I work and the people I work with, and I hope they love me.

It's just about casual human greetings in general.

 

[Stylo]

This girl I know pretty well waved at me the other day so I threw my empty monster energy can across the court at her.

 

[DEATHMASTER]

Did you draw blood?

 

[Maestro]

Based off the last two threads you've started Raz, I intuit you started working at an office recently.

 

[Stylo]

Did you draw blood?

Naaah.

 

[dfc05]

A long time ago I over-thought about this, and it annoyed me because in my mind "good" means "somewhat above average" (like an 85-90% exam score), so one can't be "good" 100% of the time. So for people I see often or know somewhat well, I've gotten into this bad habit where I'll pause a second to consider, and if it's a typical day I give a neutral status like "ok" or "same as usual." If it's warranted, I might switch to "pretty good" or "sleepy."

I wouldn't recommend this. I probably sound like a debbie downer compared to everyone else always being "good." I can still give a nice canned "good" if it's just an acquaintance or if I'm passing someone in the hall, but not often enough.

 

[Dinnesch]

"How are you doing?"
"Good."

This is how I handle it with most people. I don't like asking questions unless genuinely interested.

 

[Edeslash]

You belong in Finland, Raz.

 

[Shem]

I only continue the conversation when I'm speaking to a girl I'm interested in. And then usually the conversation ends up with me getting slapped for asking if we can go to her place and have good time

Oh shit that's 1600 right there. It feels almost like a birthday, except there's no cake and no party and it's just a post count but cool

 

[Krynn72]

A long time ago I over-thought about this, and it annoyed me because in my mind "good" means "somewhat above average" (like an 85-90% exam score), so one can't be "good" 100% of the time. So for people I see often or know somewhat well, I've gotten into this bad habit where I'll pause a second to consider, and if it's a typical day I give a neutral status like "ok" or "same as usual." If it's warranted, I might switch to "pretty good" or "sleepy."

90% of the time I'm "Good." The rest of the time I'm either "Prettay goooood" or "eh". Eh is for bad days, Prettay goooood is for when I'm feeling so good that I need someone to look at me weird and make me feel dumb, just to even things out.

 

[MuToiD_MaN]

I used to include unnecessary verbosity in my answers and then I realized people didn't actually care and then I conformed.

Sometimes I just say "Hey" in response to the HYD question if I'm really trying to avoid unnecessary conversation.

 

[Shem]

Sometimes if I really don't give a shit about what impression I leave on a person I just answer "What's up?" with "The sky." Then they either laugh and we become friends or they stare at me awkwardly and go and tell their friends how weird I am and I end up getting shoved in a locker

 

[Tollbooth Willie]

people are shit and gay do not associate with them

 

[Raziaar]

Based off the last two threads you've started Raz, I intuit you started working at an office recently.

You'd be absolutely ****ing wrong then. I've been working at the same place for years now.

 

[Raziaar]

This girl I know pretty well waved at me the other day so I threw my empty monster energy can across the court at her.

It's not the greeting. I enjoy greeting people. It's the empty meaning of the questions, because there's no actual curiosity behind it. It's just going through the motions.

 

[Stylo]

Eh, bog standard associate <--> associate greetings are empty questions because society dictates we greet our fellows in that way when most of the time we're really not interested in how the other person feels on a very deep level, if at all. It's just one of those social interactions humans do that, when examined, doesn't have much of a purpose in most cases.

The whole "you're over-thinking it" thing is probably right. We're weird creatures.

 

[Dog--]

I never ask anyone nor do I answer anyone who asks me at work. I don't care how you are, you don't care how I am, why ask? Because it's polite? I say hey or hi. That's ok, to acknowledge the other person is there, but asking how I'm doing then not listening to my answer while you walk right past me and out the door?

If someone asks me "hi, how are you?" I just say hey.

 

[Adabiviak]

It makes me laugh, because it's such an analog to ants walking around in a colony who always do the feeler dance whenever they walk into each other.

If it's habitual or just small talk, my responses to these fall into two categories: "'Sup?" or "Dude."

 

[Bad^Hat]

Yeah I prefer "what's up." Then if it's a little more than just a greeting, like if I'm sticking around for a moment they have an opportunity to tell me anything interesting that's on their mind, and I get an opportunity to reciprocate with absolutely nothing.

 

[Maestro]

You'd be absolutely ****ing wrong then. I've been working at the same place for years now.

Woah, dude, no need to be hostile about it. It's just idle curiosity.

 

[Vegeta897]

Woah, dude, no need to be hostile about it. It's just idle curiosity.

Don't provoke him further.

Spoiler

or he'll beat me tonight

 

[Krynn72]

Woah, dude, no need to be hostile about it. It's just idle curiosity.

STOP MAKING IDLE CONVERSATION WITH RAZ. He doesn't ****ing like it.

 

[Tacoeaterguy]

Strange things used to happen when I would try to greet my employees at work. I would get there before any of the lights were on, and I'd always see a co-worker standing behind the counter staring out at the road. I wouldn't be able to see their face or anything, but they were always in a suit and had long black hair.

When I'd go to greet them, I'd say like "hey hows it goin"and they wouldn't reply. I always ended up leaving work and never returning because I got too spooked every day.

Turns out I've been going into the insurance office next door. The person behind the counter is just a cutout of a woman in a suit. What a burger.

 

[Vegeta897]

Strange things used to happen when I would try to greet my employees at work. I would get there before any of the lights were on, and I'd always see a co-worker standing behind the counter staring out at the road. I wouldn't be able to see their face or anything, but they were always in a suit and had long black hair.

When I'd go to greet them, I'd say like "hey hows it goin"and they wouldn't reply. I always ended up leaving work and never returning because I got too spooked every day.

Turns out I've been going into the insurance office next door. The person behind the counter is just a cutout of a woman in a suit. What a burger.

This post deserves all the likes in the world.

 

[Raziaar]

Woah, dude, no need to be hostile about it. It's just idle curiosity.

Bitch, I can smell your snarkiness from a mile away. You can't wash that shit off!

 

[Raziaar]

Strange things used to happen when I would try to greet my employees at work. I would get there before any of the lights were on, and I'd always see a co-worker standing behind the counter staring out at the road. I wouldn't be able to see their face or anything, but they were always in a suit and had long black hair.

When I'd go to greet them, I'd say like "hey hows it goin"and they wouldn't reply. I always ended up leaving work and never returning because I got too spooked every day.

Turns out I've been going into the insurance office next door. The person behind the counter is just a cutout of a woman in a suit. What a burger.

You think you're so smart huh? Having a great big laugh with everybody.

 

[Maestro]

Bitch, I can smell your snarkiness from a mile away. You can't wash that shit off!

Well shit, guess I need something a little better than Dial then. Maybe some Irish Spring, but I hate bar soaps.

 

[Raziaar]

Well shit, guess I need something a little better than Dial then. Maybe some Irish Spring, but I hate bar soaps.

You'd think a fop like you would steer well clear of Irish Spring.

 

[Maestro]

You'd think a fop like you would steer well clear of Irish Spring.

I'm a Dapper Dan man, not a FOP man.