What is Wrong with How Are You?
Do you know what I hate? I hate when someone walks by me saying "How are you?" without stopping to wait for a response.
This is very common in a large corporation with a lot of employees continuously walking up and down the hallways, and I know I should not take this personally.
However, asking me a question and not giving me an opportunity for a response is an obvious clue that these people are not really interested in me. They are clearly not a close friend, and they are not even trying to be truly friendly. It is an obvious attempt at being nice that is so transparent that it backfires especially if it happens often.
Furthermore, these types of situations make me feel less important. As if I am being dismissed as not worthy of their time. The more that I think about it, the more I find this annoyance quite rude and very disrespectful.
What is wrong with just saying "Hello" and leaving dignity to the receiving end? I am sure I've done this mistake to other people too, and I am truly sorry for it. So now, I am extra careful with my words, and I think everyone else should too.
by Phil for Humanity
on 05/12/2007