Out of all the ironies of the world, one of the most perplexing is the simple question “How are you?” It’s the question used in every single surface level conversation. The question always asked when encountering relatives, friends, or acquaintances. It’s the question that could be answered with a million different answers. However when asked, it only insinuates a reply of one answer; the answer “I’m good.”
The other day I caught myself in this situation. I had been having a terrible day when I ran into one of my relatives, and of course, I was asked the question “how are you?” I wanted to burst out in tears right there and admit I wasn’t okay, but instead I held back the waterfall and said I was fine. It’s a shame I lied but I felt it was necessary and mandatory for me to answer with a response that implied everything was okay. I didn’t want to make my troubles somebody else’s burden, even if that someone was my relative.
When in a conversation, the question has become so mandatory and habitual to ask, so it only makes sense that the reply of “good” is necessary as well. The question originally made for the purpose of receiving a million answers has now transformed into a question which necessitates only a reply of one answer. It’s ironic that people should feel obligated to respond with an answer which may not be true, even when the question itself is asking for the truth.