When someone asks you if you’re okay – but you’re not – how do you respond?

Tweet

Perhaps it depends on who the asker is, right? If a loved one or a close friend asks you if you are okay, you probably would like to tell him/her how you are really feeling. However, if the asker is just an acquaintance or someone you are not comfortable in sharing how you’re feeling, you probably just say you are okay to tell that person to buzz off. There’s this experience that I’d like to share. I was fuming last week because my English professor gave me a D in the test for the reason that my handwriting was sloppy. I found that so offensive that I crumpled the paper and threw it in the garbage can. After class, I went to find a quiet place where I can let my anger subside – library. Later, a classmate of mine passed by and waved at me, so I just nodded. I guess she wasn’t satisfied with just a mere nod so she sat down beside me and asked what’s wrong. I said nothing, and she asked if I’m okay. I said yes and smiled at her forcefully. But she kept on pestering me whether I’m feeling all right. So I told her that okay, I’m not feeling all right. I started to open my mouth again to tell her what happened, but then she stood up and told me “okay, well, take care… see ya around…” That added to my fury. What did she ask me if I’m okay for? Another classmate of mine passed by and waved at me, so I nodded again. Just like my other classmate, she approached me and asked if I’m okay. This time, I told her that I’m fine and made some excuses to go to the comfort room. So I fled. In the comfort room, I found my best friend combing her hair and looking at her reflection. Then she caught a glimpse of my reflection. I guess she saw that I was pissed because she asked if I’m okay… because I felt comfortable in discussing my frustration at that moment, I told her what happened, and she comforted me. I guess there are some people whom we can tell openly that we’re not okay and others whom we can lie about not feeling okay just to keep them from asking too many questions. If you have any experiences like this, please do share. I’d like to hear your point of views about whether we should be honest in telling people that we’re not okay.