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Sometimes I wonder if it's part nurturing on the respondent's side (that we want people to stop worrying about us) and then part not knowing what else to say on the verbalizer's side. It's like social taboo and I don't know why!

I think "keeping it together" comes in to play at times too. You can tell if someone is pushed they will break, and it's not always appropriate to let that happen to them. I have to admit say fine a time or two myself for that reason.