How do you respond to the question "How are you today?"

United States
May 24, 2012 5:06pm CST
When anyone asks me how I am doing or the simple question how are you i respond with a positive note always. I always come back saying "I am FANTASTIC!" With a huge smile and a positive attitude. I even say it this way when I am tired, sick, sad, or grumpy. Why you may ask? Well I found if I respond positively and with a good mood I start to feel even better. Also if the person that is asking me feels down in the dumps or is grumpy then the positive rubs off because they can't help to notice the smile on my face. Next think I know the whole office is happy, smiling, and just getting along with out any grumpiness. Even my boss's attitude changes. So I have to ask again, how do you respond to the question "How are you today?"
2 people like this
13 responses
@ONLYHOPE (189)
• Philippines
26 May 12
hai I'm the kind of man always saying "I'm FINE",,but, when I'm not in the mood I'll say it with a serious facial expression,,nor when I'm sad I'll say it with teary eyes ..LOL..yes,I'm a transparent kind of attitude,but I'm doing all my best to change my mood before the day will end... I'm a cheerful and importunate kinda person,specially in our school campus, that's why if I'm in quite type they all know that I'm sad.. Great day ahead
• United States
29 May 12
Showing emotion is just fine. However, if you say that you are just tired and you don't feel good, your angry, or any of these moods then yes you will be in this situation. However, when you say that you are Fantastic then you mind will start becoming convinced that you are Fantastic not just saying it. Trust me I wasn't always perfect and I still am not. However, I am the type of person I don't like to subject anyone else to a negative mode or attitude because it always seems to come back and bite me in the butt. I guess I find being negative just makes me depressed and I hate that feeling, so I am pretty positive 90% of the time.
@ONLYHOPE (189)
• Philippines
29 May 12
hai absolutely agree with you my friend.. Good for you also Have a nice day
• Marikina, Philippines
26 May 12
If someone asked me that question, I would answer that I am doing fine if I am feeling very positive deep inside, but if I didn't feel positive emotion, I would tell that person directly that I am not feeling fine. Why would I lie? But I guess, lying to a person that you are feeling fine even if it is not okay brings the positive atmosphere to the person who asked you, so it is also worth to tell a lie.
• United States
29 May 12
Did you know that if you spend everyday for awhile that you are not feeling good and that your throat hurts and you have a headache. Give it time you will have all of those symptoms but not because of germs but because you have conditioned your brain to think this way. I don't feel that if I say I am Fantastic is lying I just feel its me choosing to feel positive. If you prefer to feel bad than that is how you will feel.
@lakantar (1573)
• Greece
25 May 12
Well I think most of us try to be as positive as we can get, especially in a work's "little society" it matters the most for employees to have the best morale possible. :) Whenever someone asks me I kind of try to be positive too, if I had a rough day or I had a problem I prefer talking about it with some close friends.
• United States
25 May 12
I understand needing to talk to friends about feelings because it truly is not healthy keeping all of your emotions in. However, if I feel very grumpy or angry I just push it all aside and smile when I am in a work environment. I even am like this in the grocery store. I just feel that if I try to act positive then it will start to feel real and the grumpy or angry feeling goes away. I also usually like to see where my friends and family are in their emotions before I spill my guts. I guess I have always been the one that took others feelings first.
@airasheila (5454)
• Philippines
25 May 12
Good day Sandra_Hatfield, With what you have posted, it sounds like that you are always having a positive thoughts on your mind. And it is great to know that you are doing this regularly. As you are not just influencing your fellow to be a positive thinker but as well as you are initiating a good positive behavior to evolved within. And that is a good example to know. Thus, I might also take that as a good response to anyone who will asked how am I.
• United States
25 May 12
You should try it. I noticed when I started this my stress level and high blood pressure lowered. I truly do believe our attitude had a lot to do with our health. People tend to be more productive and the work environment is a lot more relaxing when people are positive. I am now rarely in a bad mood. I believe that it takes more energy to be negative than it does being positive. With that being said I have more energy as well.
@crossbones27 (48321)
• Mojave, California
26 May 12
Good question. I have had this discussion before. It always throws me off when you ask, "how are you." Then the person replies terrible or something to that effect. You are just use to hearing "good, getting by," OK. What we come up with is if you do not want to know, don't ask the question.
@whatrow (792)
• United States
7 Jun 12
I respond "good" in a low voice just to be polite. But I hate that question because it doesn't mean anything. Nobody really cares how you are doing with your life. If they really cared, they would say something like, "What did your blood tests indicate?".
@youless (112091)
• Guangzhou, China
25 May 12
In fact I feel bored to this question already. Most of the time I will just reply I am fine, thanks. Although at that time I may not really feel fine. But I just don't want to talk about it more. So a polite reply may be much more suitable. I love China
@Lore2009 (7378)
• United States
25 May 12
Interesting. I think that may work sometimes and for some people but others can't really convince themselves too much, that you can tell they're not 'fantastic' even if they say so. I remember in a movie, I saw a woman answer, "how should I know!?" and found it hilarious. But when people are really in a good mood and say they're GREAT, it really does wear off and it makes me happy too. I also don't mind when people say HORRIBLE because it shows they're not perfect too. It is a hard question though.. if you really think about it. Buahaha.
@undiesman (174)
• Malaysia
25 May 12
Usually i would just respond with a "Im fine man,how bout you?" Although not many people ask me that question,instead i get "Hows life" type of questions.
@viju0410 (2286)
• India
25 May 12
Hi, When i joined my lot, i too started a similar topic at that time. Welcome to mylot and i appreciate the positive attitude and the positive vibes you spread around. Greeting everyone with a smile is a great habit and keep it up. If i had to answer this Q on phone then i usually play a prank saying 'till now i's ok but from this moment i am doing great'. In person i just reply with a smile 'i'm good/ fine' etc. and to my close friends, they don't ask me how are you, rather they say, so whaaz's up and why are u so dull, is everything fine at home etc etc (whenever i look sick/sad/grumpy). Or they comment - you look so great today. I too can understand if they are not in their usual moods and i directly ask them, tell me what happened, what's the issue etc.
@sayo13 (414)
• India
25 May 12
yes thats true what you have observed but is that happen always?? well the problem with me is that even if i am upset , sad or grumpy i have to reply to others on a positive way and has to say that " i am doing good" or " i am fine", Even if i am not. This is something i have to do else, if i mention that " no i am not doing good", people will start asking me "why", this and that. so to everyone you can not say that exactly what you are feeling right?, but yes to people who are really close to you. So for me whenever i have to forcefully say that i am doing great or i am absolutely fine, it becomes tough for me. May be for some it do wonders!
25 May 12
i always answer it with " i'm fine, how about you? " because that's hat i learn from the school and i think it's kinda polite to ask people the same question back which is showing we always have interest to what happened to him / her on that day just like what he/she just asked us :D
@amoran3 (32)
• Canada
25 May 12
There are four responses I always give: "How are you?" "Thank you for asking." "Meh." "Pretty bad, you?" I hate the question and I hate how people always give the same responses. Once, someone asked me how I was and I said, "Terrible" and the person responded, "That's great!" It happened because they expected the usual answer of "Good."