Hello how are you today

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Hows it goin?

Whats happening today?

yada yada yada

Dont you hate the bullshit questions people feel the need to ask you everyday or everytime you see them? 'Hey whatssup?' etc only for you to reply with the same answer most of the time. 'im alright, yourself?'

If your not to friendly or comfortable with the person then i can understand it but when its people you know really well/known for a long time then i just dont see the point or rather, it bugs the shit outta me. Why cant we just get straight to what we wanna talk about? Why the need to prattle through all the crap first?
 
Man its just a way of them to show they care. Its been a automated reaction/action etc..you should reply with the same agenda..

Cool, chilling..keep it brief. You dont have to put out yo whole life story.. I dont understand why it bugs you that much xD...I got used to it..

Or you could just react like this: "FUCK OFF!!"

:lew:
 
I know what you mean. Several times a day I hear what might be the most asinine question in all existence: "How is your day?" or some variant therein.

At first, I try to come up with creative responses like "my cat died" or something just to throw off the asker. Inevitably, though, I run low on such things and I find myself responding with "Good, and you?" approximately 8 hojillion times in a given day.

At any rate, I do indeed believe that empty pleasantries should be dispensed with before starting a conversation...but then again, it makes most people feel comfortable, so we have to use them anyways.
 
It doesnt bother me with my mates, they are generally interested in just catching up or wanting the latest goss in my life. Its folk when am on the phone and its hello, how are you and im like, good thanks, you? same old thing day in day out. I dont mind abit of phone banter, but thats one that always bugs me. You just know its not genuine, so why ask? Being polite? pleasantries? we all know we dont really care about how the other person really is

Unless its wilson from spiller, fuck me, he is unbelivably hot (in my head he is at least) He can ask me anything he wants :grin:
 
All small talk makes people look and/or sound socially retarded. It's so decadent and you can just see in the eyes of the people who are committing this atrocity that they can hear the sound of chalk scraping across a blackboard in their head. Yeah, yeah, they sound very nice when they're saying it - oh, the weather is nice - how are you - I'm just divine - etc., etc., - but the fact is that these kinds of things are the kinds of things that you only ever say when you have NOTHING else worth saying. I know exactly what you're thinking right now. It's okay for me, I'm an eleven out of ten guy who is never short of anything to say on a broad and diverse range of topics. Naturally, I need never engage in small talk. But you too are a human being, it's important that you remember your self-worth and stop talking this mindless and banal bull-crap. To those of you who are thinking 'I don't' then good for you! You shall henceforth be listed among my few heroes.
 
It's never bothered me. I'm just happy and grateful that someone would like to talk with me and are seemingly well mannered enough to ask such things first. The only time I'm annoyed is when the person who talks to me is always and forever negative/depressed. I don't want to hear their every little problem, every single day.
 
For me it can be kind of annoying at times depending on who says it to you/whom you have to say it to, but really the answer to "How are you?" when I ask it, is usually the more annoying part for me. Most people just say "Good, and you?" and that's fine, takes two seconds and I don't mind that at all. However, there are certain people (family etc.) who I have to say it to all the time, and as soon as I say it I know I'm in for a three-hour explanation of how the person's day went, and I dread that sort of thing :ffs: I mean if they have a bad day or something and want to tell me the main points, that's fine, but I don't need to know that their finger hurt at 9am, they had bad gas midday, headache around 3, etc :ness: It's like, please only tell me the main points, especially when I know you've probably already told three or more of your friends/family members about it as well :ffs:

As far as just the trivial banter of "Hi, how are you?" etc, I have to say it to every customer at work all the time, so I guess I'm used to it; and when that's literally the only thing I say to them, it does seem to make a huge difference. If they come in and no one says anything, they sit there with a frown on their face sometimes while they're waiting, but as soon as you acknowledge them with "Hi, how are you?" they brighten up instantly and know that you're not ignoring them. So it is effective in keeping customers from getting unnecessarily moody/pissy most of the time.

And amongst friends, sometimes I will use it if I want to know how they are, which I do care about that, but other times I'll just open up a conversation with some weird random thing just for the hell of it, because it's fun :D
 
I don't mind this whole greeting thing if it's someone i actually like.

If it's someone i don't like or don't care about then I don't actually care about how they are and I don't want to tell them how I am.
Ugh everyday at work I have to answer "Hi How are you?" a good 50 - 60 times. I work with 200 people... sometimes people will say 'Hi how are you?' twice a day. they'll see me in the morning, say it, then see me in the afternoon and say it again. I hate it!!

I've just started answering with "good thanks" and that is it, I wont ask them in return... its annoying.

I also hate people who ask you how you are just so you will ask them back and then they'll give you a whole story about why they're feeling shit or depressed.
Sorry mate, but I don't actually care :hmph:

does that make me a bitch?
 
Nine times out of ten, I go through this whole rigmarole every time someone starts a conversation on MSN. Unless I'm in a particularly foul/good mood and it needs elaborating on, it's like I'm on auto-pilot "I'm good, you?" It's just a politeness strategy, I think, and it lets a conversation flow rather than someone just jumping right at you.

Although, when they extend it beyond "how are you" to "what have you been up to lately?" and "Any plans?" then I just get irritated. It's like "We're friends. Stop this" :lew:
 
I'm not overly fond of formalities, but unlike you Jerome, I've been incensed enough by them to make a thread. I'll almost always go along with them, I occasionally say something different, similar to Ness, but most of the time I can't be bothered, and it just draws the whole thing out. I generally find that whenever I meet someone new you asked and get asked the same questions. They're things people are comfortable with. Hello, how are you etc is just foreplay, you have to get it over with before you can move on to whatever you want to discuss.
 
It depends on the person really. For co-workers, I know I'll be talking to them as the day progresses, so it's either a simple "morning" or "hey". At 8am, not everone is willing to have conversation, so I prefer to leave them be. If someone converses with me, then I entertain it, as I'm usually pretty awake and coherent by then. But my co-workers and girlfriend are the people I spend the most time with through the course of a day/week/month, so greetings are always minimal.

For others that I don't see/speak to as much, I do go with the "hi, how are you?" "good, and you?" deal, but then its over. I'm not the most social person anyways, so I'm not really a small-talker. And as a result, I usually don't get the small talk done to me either. But then again, my sort of disposition gives off that "I just don't give a shit what you think" expression, so maybe that helps too. :hmmm:
 
It doesn't bother me when someone asks how I'm doing or comments about the weather... I think some people have problems coming up with topics to bring up to show they really care about how you are doing/feeling and etc...so they just make small talk.

I'd rather someone ask what I think of the weather or how I'm doing to start up a conversation than eye me all nervously or whatever...and act like they are going to say something and then not say anything at all.

I think more often than not we are so in a rush with our own lives that we don't think or care too much how others are doing in their own. It only takes a minute to ask how someone else is doing and make small talk to show you care, rather than be smug and act like you don't give a crap :monster:
 
I see how it is Lewis. :mokken:

Doesn't bother me unless I'm having a really shit day in which case I'll say something like "eh." instead of "good, how are you?". Though it is nice when they actually act concerned. It actually doesn't serve much purpose saying it in real life other than just seeming polite.

As for online, I ask when I want to talk to someone but don't really have a specific topic to talk about right off the bat. Usually if they actually tell you what's on their mind it'll start conversation.
 
To be honest,I am a pretty creepy person in real life.I'm like Jack Torrence or something.:confused:If I see that a conversation isn't going anywhere,I'll try to answer as briefly as possible while giving them a weird stare that serves as my default expression.

"Hi,how are you?"

:brooding:"Great."

"What've you been doing?"

:brooding:"Playing games,reading."

"They say it could rain tomorrow."

:brooding:"Yep."

:brooding:*awkward pause*

"Uh,I guess I'll see you later..."

:brooding:"Okay.Bye."
 
Every morning from Monday to Friday I have all of my managers and co-workers say, 'HI Kandy how you going?' but it's in a really enthusiastic way. =) Some just say 'Hey' and I'll Hey em' back and it's all good. I don't like feeling like I have to ask everyone how they've been if I can get away with a simple 'Hello'.

They genuinely seem interested to know how I've been etc which is awesome. Never had that at any other job. The only problem is that I have to repeat the same thing to everyone when they ask at different times. XD So I usually just say, 'I'm fine.' so that I don't get stuck talking to everyone all day long.

When it comes to customers it's different though.

I have no idea who you are but I'm expected to be interested in how you day has been? XD

I mean it's a nice way of making them feel important and all, but there are some who think that they can just prattle on for ages and that is when it pisses other customers off who are waiting to be served. >.<

Even with Steve I ask him at the end of every night 'How's your night been sweetie? >.< I don't mind asking or getting asked those sort of questions when it's people I actually know. =P
 
It doesn't bother me at all. If I'm not the one to say it first, I take it as an opportunity to talk my head off about what's been happening. I know most of these "how's your day" type questions are never sincere though. It's just a way to start the convo mostly. Regardless, I don't mind. It makes the person seem like they care more. Even if they don't.
 
I think it's just out of being polite and nice, rather than trying to irritate someone.

It'd get old if they ask constantly. Every now and again, I don't see the problem. I would actually like it knowing someone's generally wanting to know my well-being.

If it's someone I don't like I could see how it'd be annoying.
 
"how are you?" is a common greeting here and if you go shopping or something, strangers will ask you this question straight away.

I used to not give a shit about it but upon further reflection, it is actually an incredibly rude question to ask a stranger. Firstly, you don't actually care if the person is "good" or not. Secondly, for all you know, this person may have just been diagnosed with a terminal illness, lost a loved one or gone through something just as horrible. Thirdly, regardless of how they actually may be, you are expecting the person to reply "good", "not bad", "alright" etc.. out of social convention. It seems very superficial when I think about it. It's even more annoying when people ask the question and either don't bother waiting for a response or look away immediately after asking.

Amongst friends and such those kinds of questions don't really bother me though.
 
this thread just reminded me about wilson from Spillers at my old job hahahahaha, aw man, he sounded so hot and I bet he lwas like, 80 years old ]:

i think i hate small talk even more now though, than i ever did. Fake pleasantries get on my nerves
 
I think ive became my own worst enemy for this. These days i literally dont have anything to say or anything i want to say to people i dont particularly like. You know those folk at work you have to put up with? But for no lack of trying i have my manners and il always be polite and civil and say good morning to whoever it is. Then what will follow is your generic banter pish. Hows it going? Up to much last night / at the weekend? Or il just mention something work related. A few meaningless replies later and we go our seperate ways. You know you have good friends and colleagues when yous can just totally skip this step and get straight to whats really on your mind. Like you would any other buddy.
It really comes down to not knowing people well enough i guess. I find the notion that you just cant find common ground with some people to be a load of rubbish. No one is trying hard enough to get to know eachother and probably arent interested in trying either. But thats perfectly ok because you cant be chummy with everyone. I accept that i just have to put up with the pointless banter in life but il maybe make more of an effort to strike up interesting coversation and see what happens. You never know

If i had a quid for everytime ive said F'like out of politeness id have a lot of quids. Probably enough money to spend in a shopping competition with Kim Kardashian on coke.
 
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