The Question "How are you?"

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Seems to be a harmless and common enough greeting to me. You could always say: "I'm just Ducky!!" LOL

fine, good or OK with a smile or something works for me, scept when it doesn't

Like many others, I usually respond with "fine". If I am feeling frisky, then I will sometime mess with them by responding, "I am not unwell, thank you."

I always respond honestly, but I don't go into deep detail with strangers. If I feel crappy though I say "Hmm, so-so. I don't feel good today" or something.

I usually answer "I don't know" (or "Nothing" if the question is in a form applicable for this answer). I rarely have persistent moods, my emotions are very momentary.
So I answer honestly.

This question used to baffle me every time, and I went thru a long phase where I'd answer honestly, which people sometimes took well and sometimes not.

Lately I have been answering with "Well enough" or some times "tall" ( I'm male and 5'10"), which really flummoxes some people. Well, now they know how it feels when someone asks me that!

Even though I (usually) know that the expected response is "fine" or "good" or some such, I just can't bring myself to say it. I feels coercive, and I am accepting defeat, like when a playground bully makes a smaller child say 'uncle'. Does that make sense?

The way I see it, "ok" has two meanings: actually "ok" and "I have nothing to say about it". So that's what I say. I'm starting to realize that I'm supposed to return the question, though. NTs always do, and when I don't people seem annoyed. I can never remember to actually do it, though: I get too flustered.

It took 33 years for that to dawn on me. So much for "exceptionally gifted".

I love this thread. Ah, to be understood.

I'm usually honest. I only ask "How are you?" if I really want to know the answer. If I don't, I just say "Hi" to be polite. I never understood the whole "How are you?" deal. I mean, if you don't want to know the real answer, then don't ask.

I'm not the best at this, though better than I used to be. I think it comes down to reciprocating...I generally say I'm fine, but am not always great in asking in return. However, I do sometimes ask 'how are you?' as a conversation opener and things can flow OK from that.

If I'm good, I'll say I'm good, If I'm not not, I'll say that as well. I'm aware that you're "supposed" to say that you're fine, or good, but I think that the whole thing is stupid. If someone asks me a question, I'm going to give them the truth.