What's the right answer to "how are you?"

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I usually say i am fine thank you what about you its pretty much straight once you get the hang of it.

"Fine thank you, how are you? " is what I say, while forming a smile and making my eyes look as if I am delighted. I look them straight in the eye but by the time I am saying "ank you", I start blinking coz it gets too much. Hahaha.
What works better here at least, (New England fishing town) is something other people do. They reply semi sarcastically while smiling, with some kind of small talk comment like "I am hanging in there! <chuckle> How bout you?!" And the other person says "I am with ya! Gotta keep tryen' <chuckle>" And then they move to the exchange of news. And I am still smiling and at that point I am looking at the walls.

Sometime I just say "alive."

I really do hate meaningless small talk.

I usually just reply with "I'm fine".. Which, to me, is being honest, because I'm just feeling neutral. Only problem with that is, alot of people then ask "JUST?.. fine?".. If I am "lying" and saying "fine" even if I'm not, it usually takes everything in me to keep from literally trying to explain everything.. So I usually (re)reply with "yeah, just fine", and then try to change the subject.

When people say ''how are you?'' I normally say ''not too bad, you?'' That's what I hear other people say a lot.

How are you doing today?

Tired, headache, OK, preoccupied, hungry, hanging in there.etc ..........

I'm not one for it much, but if I know someone I'll ask how are they doing. They might say the car makes a troublesome noise, or my employer did this and that, it cost me 100 to fill the gas tank today, and gas is going up again.... the bozo's in Washington could drop it to 2 + gallon but........ Or I'm deathly ill etc, etc.

To the German equivalent of that question/greeting, I usually answer with a positive expression that translates into something between "not bad" and "pretty good".

It's the most commonly used, most empty but still quite upbeat sounding answer that I know of.

Most people don't actually want to know the answer.

The question "what's up?" confuses me more.

Depends on the situation in which it is being asked.

If it's casual, I'd just use "I'm alright, thanks. Yourself?"

They dont need that exhaustive 1500 dollar test.

If a person doesnt know the anwer to question "how are you?" then- they are an aspie. That is the litmus test!

It took me a life time to figure out the proper answer to that is "fine thankyou, and you?"
You dont give an answer that has anything to do with how you actually are.

But im still have no clue as to what the anwer is to this question: "Whats happening?"


What exactly is the proper answer to "What's happening/"

With my mother and me on the phone, there is usually a how are you - followed by her asking how I am, followed by me asking how she is.

The reason being, once pleasantry's are over you ask an actual question.

M : How are you?
N : I am fine, how are you?
M : Tired, they just let me out of work.
N : I see, so how are you? Whats going on?

I just reply honestly regardless of who they are. I'm not one to enjoy small talk very much, and if the honest answer makes them stop asking about how I am, then that's one less thing I need to avoid. Or I point out bluntly how useless the question is and they tend to stop asking. So far for me, it has not put any significant strain on any relationship I have cared even slightly for. And those who I would care about know better than to ask me that unless they want a true answer.

I heard a great answer to the "what's up?" question today.

Two coworkers pass by one asked "what's up?" the other said "The cost of living."

A minute later I start laughing and everyone just stops and looks at me. The worst part is I'm still not sure if it was a joke or if she was serious. But it's true.