I really like that you spoke of the “How are you?” question. You are exactly right that most people really don’t want to know “How we are”. To me it just sounds like a phrase the “Hello” with not much meaning anymore. I have been doing the same thing you are suggesting for a while now. When someone ask me “how are you?”, I tell them the real answer. This really throws people off.

What I have noticed when they ask me at the store checkout and I answer with “OK” and I return the question , many times I get the “I am OK too” as the answer. But if you listen to the answer from the person that just came before you, both sides will have said “great”. In some way I think it is seen as a weakness if we tell the truth and so people just make things up.

Keep up the great work!