Bad Manners ?

[Khandro]

Do you ever get brief emails saying something like, 'Are you OK?'  or   'How are things?' etc. To which I'm expected to give an account of my life's recent events.

 I do, and they drive me nuts. I'm tempted to reply an equally curt, 'Fine thanks', but that would sound rude don't you think?

What would you do ?

 

[jno]

how do you know what they're expecting of you? Any why do you respond to it anyway? If all you want to say is "fine, thanks", you can do so - though obviously you can then give a brief account of your recent visit to Turkmenistan if you want to, they've left that opporunity open.

[bhg481]

pasta - exactly. I just treat such a message as someone wanting to keep in touch. It's nice to hear from them and they usually get a brief reply thanking them for bothering to contact me.

[Peter Pedant]

I hear the minutae of his life for 15 mins before I can get a word in.

oh why oh why do you have too pull members of your family to bits in public? You like Prince Harry.

Meanwhile Papillon - the opener - - Pappy-yarn sung in an American accent and you know it is gonna be bad. Dustiin Hoffman doing French. The book is much better. - 

[naomi24]

Khandro, //I think it is bad manners to expect someone to write a precis of how one really is,//

 

How do you know what they expect?  If truth be known many people who ask 'How are you' don't really want to know.  A 'fine thanks, how are you' will usually do.

[sandyRoe]

That island where Papillon was imprisoned, could we negotiate a deal with the French if the Rwanda deal goes pear shaped?

[Untitled]

are you sure that you're ok khandro? sounds like you're getting hot under the collar over absolutely nothing

[jno]

the island's now a spaceport, sandyRoe, so asylum seekers could be blasted off to Alpha Centauri, an area with less of a history of genocide than Rwanda.

[Khandro]

I might give a very brief answer if it was an sms message, but I couldn't on an email. And if you would think 'I'm OK thanks' was an acceptable reply, then you are different than I am, - which I guess goes without saying.

[Old_Geezer]

"Yes, thanks for asking. Are you ok ?", is a decent response.

[jno]

I'm OK thanks' was an acceptable reply,

aceptable to whom? Is it your contacts who decides what's acceptable, or you? I'd think you were justified in giving any response you chose, but no good blaming your choices on other people.

[naomi24]

Khandro, if someone asks how you are, do you really tell them?  You must bore them to tears!

[Patsy33]

People lead very busy lives today. Most are considerate just to ask if you're OK, just to make time out of their precious time.

[david small]

Don't take things too literally.

[Peter Pedant]

You must bore them to tears!

yeah - usualy they are wondering where I am up to. My GP to me: "God I am glad you have this disease and not me" - he has er been struck off now ! Yeah OK to those i dont really think are interested, I say 'cured'. Obviously untrue - alot dont realise how  rude the reply  is

[William51]

 I get a lot of odd emails like that and treat them with suspicion. Why would someone contact you out of the blue to make friends, it may be a scammer phishing for your confidence. I delete them.