Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill Bumface
I don't know how universal it is, but the social expected transaction of "How's it going?", "Good", regardless of how it's going is actually pretty strange.
If anyone answers that honestly, it's often super awkward and unexpected. But if you don't ask, you're also a jerk.
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The variations on those ice-breakers are interesting.
“How’s it going?“ is completely generic, and something you’d say to a Home Depot clerk out of politeness. Nobody expects a genuine answer.
“How are things?” on the other hand, is more intimate. The assumption is you know the person well enough that you expect an update on their health, family, etc. It’s not a question posed to strangers, and it typically elicits a genuine answer along the lines of “oh, not too bad. Janine has been busy helped her mom pack things up after her dad died. But we’ve got a trip booked to Victoria in June, so that’ll be a nice break for her.”