Asking "how are you" without expecting an answer!

Never understood that one myself. Why ask a question that you don't really want an answer too. It seems rather rude to ask and not take the 2 minutes to find out how that person is.

Wow. I don't have that kind of behaviour in my country. It's weird. It's not an expression which has substitued hey! or good morning/afternoon! with losing its original meaning for loads of people...

I notice strangers ask it a lot. I have also thought it was sort of strange, considering they never even wait for the "I'm fine." I find myself asking strangers the same, though if they gave me an answer, I would still listen. Most of the time, they never respond at all. People that I know and frequently ask, usually respond with "Good, and you?" even though I am truly interested in knowing how they are, they have been accustomed to the short, pleasant response.

Hello there. Yeah, we have the same sentiments about that. Some people say hi, hello and it will be followed by asking "how are you?". I feel that most person who ask that isn't really concern to what will be your answer. I mean, it is like a follow up word to say, like an expression just like what you had said. I just also smile when people ask me

Hi friend, since we are living in a fast world and every one is having lot of work, so they don't have time to hear answers, but don't give up the formality and ask this question formally. But this kind of activity is wrong and there is no use in asking this, if we don't have enough time to chat with that person

I see this often. I see this even through out the day someone might give a random comment as if striking up a conversation but then they just continue walking away. I remember having a yelled conversation the other day trying to return the discussion as the guy walked away. I was left wondering why he bothered to say anything to me at all in the first place. I don't understand why individuals can't either 1. Resist their tongues if they have no time to stay and talk any way or 2. Be polite enough to stop and listen to what your answer is.

Guilty! Well, guilty of the reverse. A lot of times when people say, "Hi. How are you doing?" I just reply with a "Hi," and don't answer the question. Maybe, subconsciously, I don't think they really want to know the answer. I just view it as an acknowledgement.

Hi Besweet, First of all let me thank you for telling Ebony that I wasnt rude, I find it was really sweet of you. About this discussion , how are you is really just a way of greeting and no one is really interested in knowing. I recently met someone and asked him how he was and he started telling me he woke up with head ache and his sugar levels were high and started to tell me all kind of medical problems he had so I had to cut him short and smile and say I see you feel like yesterday.

somtimes just to stir things a little, just kidding around to prompt a response, i intentionally say," OMG,really bad!" then just keep quiet with an alarming expression on my face but of course among friends, never fails to get them probe for more information when they think there is something amiss,exchange goes something like this , the very casual.. " how are you" response" OMG..awful.. ! response...what s happen? then very seriously i will say ...something terrible..my cat peed on my sofa.. or something ridiculous, then give them a smile to show i am just kidding..just to brighten the moment a bit.

that happen a lot, sometimes its just part of their job, or just a routine. we all need to love each other, and as well try to understand the human mechanism behavior.

I feel the same as you. A few years back I had a conversation with a friend about this same thing. I mean, if you don't care how somebody is why ask? I realize it's habit and people don't actually mean it. They say it as more of a courtesy than anything else. But then again, how courteous is it to ask how someone is and then walk away??? I know once I started to tell someone how I was and they got kind of a distressed look on their face, most likely because they never expected me to actually tell them how I was. On the other hand, I say it to people and on the rare occasion that someone has started telling me how they are, I listen politely and respond accordingly. I feel they must need someone to talk to. Maybe I'm the first person they saw that day or they just needed to tell somebody that sounded like they cared what their problem was. But I wish people wouldn't say it if they don't mean it. And I've been accused, sometimes, of taking things too literally. I found some of the other responses here surprising. It appears not many feel as you and I do. Maybe I should just get with the times and realize nobody gives sh!t. By the way, besweet, how are ya? Uh, gotta go!

Hmmm " how are you" is phrase that has lost it's meaning and value. I noticed this also, people now ask it for the sake of asking with a very less intention of finding out the state,of the person. Why then ask if not interested really how fine the person is. Although there are such generic answers for this, too vwhich is just i am ok and fine thank you. Although, if asked by friends and this can be answered with honesty a friend can answer like, .....i am in love, or i am not ok, or i am sick. Too sad, that people ask th is precious phrase to know mire about the person and yet doesn't really care about this person.

I wish people would just say; 'Have a great day.' or 'Have a good one' or 'Wishing you the best' instead of asking 'How are you?' and then, not waiting for an answer. It is a question and it deserves an answer. I agree with you, it is annoying when people ask 'How are you?' as if it is a greeting and then, don't wait for an answer. The best attitude is just to not let it bother you. Just understand that some people use it as a greeting. Wish them a great day. Sometimes all we can do is be polite and smile. :)

As for me,when my boos or customers(they are foreigners in my country)say How are you,Sophie? I always answer I am fine,thanks or Not bad,thanks.But in China,we don't greet people by saying so.We just say hello or long time no see when we haven't met each other for a long time.If we ask how are you or how is everything,we surely get a reply accordingly. Have a nice day.

i think it's just one of the ways that people are trained to greet each other. i don't think people really want a long lengthy answer to a simple question. if they reply, "fine", then that's good enough for me. you say people should pay attention to one another, but people really don't have the time. people are way to busy and life has people too preoccupied. sorry, that's just reality. i would hate for me to have ask someone, "How are you doing?" and they go into this long life drama history. that's just me. I could be nice, or I could be honest.

It's something like Hi....what do you say when you don't really want to ask "how are you"?

what?! ask you a question and do not stay there to hear from you? that's absolutely ridiculous. Why ask if you are not interested to know. I have not seen something like this happening around me, and yes, I have noticed people not responding when someone wish them. These are those people who do not have their head in the right place. Attitude freaks who show their attitude towards others and that too in heights.

That's true. Sometimes we greet others in different ways, I think "how are you" is just a kind of way of greeting. Most people don't really want the answer. In my country, people usually greet others with the questions below: Have you eaten your meal? Where are you going? etc. Which is considered impolite questions in western countries. But when we say these, we don't really want the answers, we are not trying to invade others' privacy, they are just ways of greeting. I know it's strange but it's just our habbit.

In my opinion, they won't reply for that question maybe because they are not ok or fine. So they just don't answer the question. If they say they are not fine, the person asking might worry or ask more about their situations so some some just keep quiet as if they don't hear what others are asking.