Mean It When You Ask Someone ‘How Are You?’
When I see people in passing now, their first instinct is to ask, “How are you?” But most people don’t actually mean it. Checking the box is more disrespectful than not asking at all, at least in my view. The “how are you?” doesn’t have to be a throwaway line. On the contrary, it can be used effectively to convey care and compassion.