jmood

Yes :-)

But the annoying ones would ask "are you ok?"

moneypenny20

But they may be ok, they could just be having a bit of morning sickness, in which case they'd just say 'yeah I'm fine now thanks'. It's just showing a bit of human kindness. I wouldn't go up to a stranger and say 'what's wrong?' or 'what happened?'. I'd say 'are you ok?' I can be very annoying sometimes though so maybe you're on to something.

jmood

Well I'm sure you care when you ask. Maybe it's just me, but I find that question "are you OK" to be annoying because I don't get that sense of concern or a genuine desire to help from it.

Or maybe it's because I'm too literal. If I was having morning sickness my answer would still be "no, I'm not OK"!

Nutek

Sup?

Pulaski

I'd sooner someone ask if I'm OK that watch me choke to death.

As I see it my well being can be anywhere from "great, marvelous, never felt better", to lying on the ground choking or in convulsions. Somewhere in the middle is "OK", and any where between OK and "great, marvelous, never felt better" my health and well being is nobody else's dämn business, but if I am less than "OK", I might need assistance. It could be a drink of water, it might be a slap on the back, or I might need you to call 911. So when someone asks if I'm "OK" as I see it they're asking if I am sufficiently well to not need assistance.

SultanOfSwing

'Are you OK?' is a more efficient way of asking all of those questions at once.

Sally Redux

You'd be bloody lucky to find anyone in LA who'd ask.

jmood

But why ask a question whose obvious answer is no. If they were obviously OK, you would not ask that question. In turn it means they are obviously not OK. It's almost an oxymoron. So I don't even see that it's efficient.
Maybe, maybe, can I help you might be more efficient.

yellowroom

For heaven's sake, it's just a social convention, most people understand the shorthand. Pretty much like "how do you do" or "how are you today". No-one really expects a full and honest answer, it's just social WD-40 to get things moving.

SultanOfSwing

This is a ****ing stupid conversation. You're ruling out the need to ask further (nose-sticky-inny type) questions by ascertaining if there is even a need.

Just because someone is apparently not OK to you doesn't make them obviously not OK. Maybe I'm just more perceptive than you.

Sally Redux

How often is this even happening?

jmood

Well, OK. I'll continue to be annoyed by myself at this question.
Everyone else seems to think it is fine.


Here's another one then. Doesn't anyone think the American question "How are you" as a greeting, i.e. not meaning to ask how you are, is a little annoying. Admittedly I'm now used to that question. Doesn't annoy me anymore like it used to in my first few years here.

But I think I'll never get used to the "are you OK" question. Sultan, I don't think it's a matter of being perceptive. I think its because I'm rather literal combined with my background in health care.

Nutek

Are you ok?

Sally Redux

I prefer this one

jmood

:-)))))))))
Apparently not!