The Amazingly Odd Things Americans Do

Using “How Are You?” as a Greeting

When people greet each other around the world the basic communication starts of with some form of a hello. However, Americans have an odd, interesting norm that is learned from a young age that it is entirely okay and allowable as a formal greeting to ask someone how they are without meaning it. We say all the time, “How are You?” as a polite form of hello with no expectation whatsoever to get an answer much less even hear specific information. The greeting began decades ago, and it actually was answered with a “Fine, how are you?” as a response. However, in recent times that has entirely dropped and it’s now just an empty question that puzzles the heck of out everyone not from the U.S.