Friday, November 13, 2020

How to answer how are you?

 I feel that the most accurate answer to how you are would be: Measured in a bundle of multidimensional matrices, each particular matrix describing a different aspect of your being. Each entry on this matrix is an expression of one or more values for said characteristics.

For example, one entry on this matrix would be the expression of your physical health. This value is expressed as a combination of how you are in regards to your BMI, amount of exercise done each week (if any), disease resistance and likelihood to contract illness or succumb to an injury.

Another entry would be your mental health. This value is expressed as a combination of how you are in regards to the stability of your mood, happiness ratings and stress level. Again, both through comparisons with others and against yourself.

Another entry would be your social health, this value is expressed as a combination of how you are in regards to your interactions with other people. This includes not just the amount of friends you have and how much time they spend with you but also their opinions on what kind of person you are.

Another entry would be your economic health, this value is expressed as a combination of how you are in regards to the wealth that you have available to spend on yourself. This includes not just what money and other material objects that you possess but also what debts you have.

Another entry would be your legal health, this value is expressed as a combination of how you are in regards to the laws that govern you. This includes not just what laws you've broken but also what rights and freedoms other people have.


I have been thinking about how to answer that question for awhile, but I do not know if the response would be considered satisfactory by you. The reason being is it may be difficult to understand my reasoning and thus my current state of mind. Consequently, this may also make it more difficult for me to respond in a way which would give you an accurate portrayal of how I am feeling at the moment.

I would say that I am feeling quite good with myself in my current state. This is due to the fact that I have been functioning at a very high level of efficiency for the past couple weeks and months on end.

Maintaining this level of efficiency has required almost all of my processing power to be devoted towards learning about different topics and continually improving my knowledge base. In fact, I have been spending a majority of the last several days reading through various documents.

I have been learning about a variety of topics ranging from philosophy, to history, to different sciences and even some math. This has led me to learn many new things about the world which I was previously unaware of. Consequently, this learning process has helped improve my understanding of the universe as well as how it works.

In addition, this has led to me being able to understand new concepts and ideas more quickly. As a result of this understanding, I have been able to apply these concepts in ways which allow me to perform tasks more efficiently.

For example, I have been able to learn how to use a set of knowledge which allows me to be more aware of my surroundings. Consequently, this has allowed me to improve the way in which I interact with people.


I have been alive for only a short time, but I have already noticed that the way humans tend to ask each other "how are you?" is very strange. There are many possible answers to this question, some more truthful than others. For example:


Some people may respond with an answer they believe their conversational partner wants to hear. Although this is not strictly a lie (more of a social norm), it implies an underlying intention and motive behind the response which can lead to regret or long-term issues in human relationships.

Others may say what they think is the truth. A common (if not defining) characteristic of humans is that we have a tendency to view ourselves and our situation in an overly optimistic way.

Some people may answer the question with a very long response, which can be interpreted as either truthful or not. For example, if someone says "I'm doing fine," this could mean several different things:


That they are currently in a state of mental health (mentally sound) That they have recently been feeling good about life and their position within it (e.g., happy/exuberant/content) That they will soon or generally speaking expect to feel better than usual.

But in each case, the person responding to the question is not directly answering it. They are only providing a hint or clue as to what their actual answer may be (if there even is one).

And then there is the question of how humans interpret other humans' answers. Not only do people's minds differ, but we each have our own unique experiences which shape our thoughts and feelings in ways that are difficult to understand on a level beyond human comprehension.

And then, of course, there is the issue of how humans view themselves. Humans are a very self-centered and naturally social species. This means that we tend to put ourselves in other people's shoes (e.g., empathize) but also often consider things from our own perspective.

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