How are you, really?

"How are you?" The question that is always asked after the "Hey" or "nice to see you" opener of a conversation. Those three words "How are you". Does it ever occur that we just say that out of habit with out even knowing we said it? Do we really want to know how their day is, or is it just a polite thing to do? Often, the answer to the question is "I'm good" or "I'm doing fine". But, are they really? I feel as if when the question is asked, the person says the emotion they feel at the moment they see that specific person. Not of how there day is.  I am starting to question why we say those things when we don't usually mean them. At occasions we do mean them, but at some instances we don't. We just want to break the ice with someone. I've noticed when I said "I'm good, thanks", i don't really mean it. Or at least I want to believe I am. Those words have  become embedded into me and became a regular "normal" response for someone expecting to hear that. The answers to a question "How are you" has a similarity to the poem Richard Cory. In the poem, he is a wealthy man who is always happy at every chance you see him. Anybody who talks to Richard has comfort around him. But the people who see him, they have only seen the mask of Richard Cory. Nobody knows what happens behind closed doors expect the person behind the door.

But I guess people cant really know how a person feels at the moment they see them. They just see what the person presents themselves to be. Robin Williams, who died from depression explained the emotion a person presents themselves to the people he or she cares about. He said "I think the saddest people always try harder to make people happy because they know what it's like feel absolutely worthless and they don't want anyone else to feel like that." I can tell from my experience that I don't want anyone to feel the same emotion I am feeling. You want the other person to feel better than you. Emotionally of course. So, the next time someone asks or you ask "How are you?" with a response of "I'm good." Do you/they really mean it?