I'm Fine | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

I'm Fine

I'm good, fine, and okay. Except I'm not any of those.

47
I'm Fine
S Media Cache

When you ask someone the common question of how are you?, are you asking to be polite? Or are you genuinely curious? Do you continue on your way without waiting for her reply?

When you are asked that same question, how do you respond? Do you answer genuinely? Or do you give the answer deemed appropriate by society?

"'I''m good' or 'I'm fine' thanks, how are you?"

Why does everyone have to always be fine? Why do we feel it's necessary to say everything is good? And why do we in turn expect that answer?

The pressures of living in a world such as our own become increasingly more difficult. The expectation for everyone is to put on a happy face, particularly when one feels there is very little to be happy about. Showing anything besides contentment, joy, and other positive emotions has become something of a foreign concept to most people. What many people, including myself, don't always realize is that it's okay to not be okay. It's even okay to say things aren't that great. It's okay to admit when hard times hit. A common theme I've come across is the idea that if we don't talk about, think about, our tough times, that means that they don't exist, or they didn't happen. If it's out of our mind, it's not a problem. If I don't think about it, I can pretend it never happened, and therefore, no one will ever need to know.

Nice try.

Doing that actually has the opposite effect. Pushing the bad away, out of our minds, trying not to think about it...whatever it is someone may do to try to forget is a temporary fix. It will work for a short amount of time and then at some point, (usually the worst possible moment), something small will set us off. Everything goes up in flames. All those negative emotions that have been bottled up and pushed down are now uncontrollable. What we wanted to keep to ourselves is no longer a secret. This is definitely not the way most people want to be living. The people around may feel like they have to walk on eggshells, and eventually may distance themselves.

I think that sometimes this can just be because someone may not feel heard, or cared about. Sometimes saying hello, or smiling to a stranger can go a long way in making someone's day. I remember being in a negative mindset on two specific occasions, and having a complete stranger say hello to me, both times, helped to brighten my mood significantly. We need to do away with this unrealistic expectation that everyone is always good, fine, or okay, because it really is okay to not be okay.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
I'm serious

There are tons of unisex names that are popular: Taylor, Alex, Bailey, etc. There are also numerous names that are used for both sexes, but they’re not seen as “unisex” yet. People are slowly becoming accustomed to the dual use of these names, but for the most part, in their minds they associate certain names with certain sexes. And that leaves those of us with these names in many awkward situations.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

16 Secrets Anthropology Majors Never Admit To

You know that all of these things apply to you. You'll just never tell.

5756
cave
CSU

I'm an anthropology major, and I love every minute of it. I couldn't tell you why, but I guess there's just something about studying different lifestyles that absolutely fascinates me. But anthropology majors definitely have our weird sides, especially when you go to a school that is filled with mostly Business and Bio majors. But us weirdos definitely have a lot in common, specifically these 16 things.

Keep Reading...Show less
pale girl

Everyone has insecurities, that's just a fact. You didn't ask to be born this way. You didn't ask to inherit the one trait no one else in your family has. And you definitely didn't ask to be this ghostly white. But as soon as you've learned to live with it for a while (less wrinkles later on in life, right? right???) someone has to ruin it for you. They have to flaunt they're perfectly tanned body from Spring Break and hold their sun-kissed skin against yours. But I've had enough... here are the things that perpetually pale individuals are tired of hearing.

Keep Reading...Show less
music sheet

Being a music major is not all kicks and giggles. In fact, there are days when I question my sanity and doubt myself as a musician. I know I am not the only one going through the struggle, and so here are 13 GIFs that I know my fellow music majors can relate to...

Keep Reading...Show less
Bob's Burgers
Flickr

1. The witty burger names.

Blue is the warmest cheese burger

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments