I’m fine

Have you ever wondered how often you are asked, “How are you?” In English-speaking countries, this question is often just another way to say “Hello.” Sometimes, people ask but don’t even wait for an answer.

Out of habit, most of us respond with a quick “I’m fine”, “I’m OK,” or “I’m good”. But I recently read a statistic that claimed the most common lie in the English language is: “I’m fine”.

There’s an old saying: “A lie repeated 100 times becomes the truth”. And that makes me think—if we keep saying “I’m fine” even when we’re not, does that make us believe it? Does it mean we can just ignore our problems and life will go on?

Sorry, but that’s not my thing.

I don’t believe in pretending everything is okay when it’s not. I don’t believe in brushing off struggles just to keep up appearances. Life is too short to live on autopilot, answering “I’m fine” out of habit while carrying the weight of unspoken problems.

If you’re not fine, acknowledge it. If something is bothering you, face it. If a problem keeps coming back, stop pushing it aside—solve it.

That doesn’t mean you need to pour your heart out to every passing stranger. But it does mean you owe yourself honesty. Because the moment you admit that something is wrong, you take the first step toward making it right.

Some problems take time. Some solutions aren’t easy. But ignoring them doesn’t make them go away—it just buries them deeper. And buried things have a way of resurfacing when you least expect them.

So ask yourself, “Am I fine?”. And if the answer is “No,” don’t just accept it. Do something about it.

Take one small step. Make one small change. Start fixing what needs to be fixed. And at the end of the day, you’ll find yourself feeling lighter, stronger, and more in control.

And maybe then, when someone asks, “How are you?” you’ll be able to answer with something real.

Maybe even, “I’m good”—and actually mean it.

GK