"are you ok?" How to answer it?

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Here's an amazing bit of irony... within 10 minutes after I wrote this, I got up from my desk and headed down the hall. I passed someone who said, "Hey, how you doing?", so like a good little NT type robot, I said "Fine, you?" but they walked on down the hall without responding. I always feel like I did it wrong when that happens. I dunno, I don't get it. People suck.

This happens to me often, I am now wondering whether "Fine, you" is perhaps not the correct response as I never ask people, so I dont really know how others respond.

I usually just answer questions I don't know how to respond to with "Why do you ask?"

What happens when I do that in response to this particular question is invariably the same conversation, almost always exactly the same (not the exact words but the essence of it), and it goes something like this:

"Are you ok?"

"Why do you ask?"

"You look ____." (upset, angry, whatever)

"Well that's odd. I don't feel ____."

"Are you sure?"

"Very."

"Oh, ok then. Sorry."

And then the other person seems to become awkward/nervous. I don't quite understand.

^ ^ ^ I like that. I may have to incorporate that into my repertoire.

they don't really expect an answer so I just say fine...
Only get worried when they keep asking. Or if you are on the (wrong side) of a breakdown, clearing away kleenex, spend 10 minutes ignoring everyones comments and then... 'are you ok'... yeah sure... In this job, I know at least some really care but you still can't just say how lousy you really feel.

They ask because of my responses and mannerisms about 10-20 percent of the time, I think.

Most of the time they ask because I look physically weary (summer heat or coming indoors from the winter cold). I respond that "oh, yes. If I were not okay, you would know it. I'd be unconscious." (Like if I fell off a roof or something.)

And I back that up, too, with physical toughness. But maybe less toughness in recent years, as I am getting older.

"Are you okay?"
My answer: "yeah, why?"
Because I figured it was something people wanted to hear and forced them to explain their reason for asking.

"How are you doing?"
My answer for most of my life: "Good" (sometimes "good, you?")
Because it was a default answer which I assumed was appropriate for small talk, not because it was true. I blame foreign language books. About 2 years ago, I decided to get clever and swap "good" for "okay" or "horrible, how about you?" - usually I would determine which I use at the start of the week.

Depends on who asks.

Random people, and people I don't know very well? I generally say "Yeah, I'm doing great today. How about you?" with a smile, or something along those lines, and they don't pursue that subject any further.

People I'm close to, though, I'll more often be truthful about. If they care enough to ask beyond "No, I'm not okay," then they're in the mood to help.

"Yeah, I'm good. How about you?"
<they answer.>
"Glad to hear it. It sure is a sunny day..."

My recent reply (one I've been trying out) to the question "How are you?" has been "Alright so far". People smile and keep walking and I get the end the conversation there.

I always say I'm fine. However, 99% of the time, people ask if I'm OK/all right, when I'm perfectly fine. I think it's kinda like the "Sad Keanu" meme. http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/ori ... tled-2.jpg . Keanu was like "No, I wasn't sad in that picture." Then someone posted a comment something along the lines of "It's called being deep in thought, maybe you should try it sometime." So I guess that's what happens to me.

Hate the "how are you" question... My favorite answer is "how I look" - it shuts them down