Why do we continue to ask rhetorical questions?

I work in an office building that contains roughly 1,300 people who work for the same company. If I had to make a rough guess, I'd say I know approximately 200 of them by name. On any given day, I have the following conversation at least twice a day as I'm passing someone in the hallway:

Them: Hi, there. How are you?
Me: I'm good. And you?
Them: Oh, I'm good.

Or, because I'm always in such a hurry and am walking so freakin' fast, it often goes really more like this:

Me: (offering a dismissing wave because I know I'm about to blow by them in a flurry)
Them: Hi, how are you?
Me: Good...(followed by a pang of guilt because I realize that I haven't asked them the same in return)

Then again, should I really feel sorry about this? I mean, are these conversations really valuable to anyone involved? Does it benefit anyone to volley the same rhetorical questions back and forth when neither party really (honestly) cares about the answer? I'm not sure people even listen to the question sometimes, much less care about the answer they give/receive.

My favorite is always the dialogue that ensues as I'm leaving a grocery store check-out line (and not thoroughly listening to what the cashier is saying to me):

Me (gathering my bags): Thank you!
Cashier: Thank you, ma'am. You come back to see us.
Me: You too! (then to myself) Dang it! She said 'come back'! I was totally expecting 'have a nice evening'! OMG, I'm so stupid...of COURSE she's coming back...she WORKS HERE!

Don't get me wrong. It's not that I don't care about people. It's not at all uncommon for me to strike up a conversation with someone in a 1.) waiting room, 2.) elevator, 3.) checkout line. I LOVE talking to people, asking them questions, learning about people, etc. I'm just not much for the fake-friendly encounters every time I run into someone. I mean, what if I'm in a bad mood, and am making a desperate run for coffee before the cafeteria closes at 10:00 a.m.? What if I'm headed out of the office for a week's vacation and can't. get. outta. here. fast. enough?!?!?!

I often find myself wondering if the people I pass in the hallway at work ever 1.) notice that I cut my conversations with them short, or 2.) even care. It's not that I don't have friends at work or WANT to have friends at work. I DO! It's just that I don't enjoy FAKING these relationships.

There should probably be some ground rules/expectations for office interaction. How about this...? If I've never seen you before (entirely possible with such a large company), you get the half-smile and then look-away. If I know who you are, but am not sure you know who I am, you get a smile/wave. If I know you by name, you get a "Hi, so-and-so." That's it. If I know you fairly well, but don't see you often, you get a "Hey, so-and-so. What's been going on?" At this level, I will slow down to get an update on anything that you're willing to share with me about any recent developments in your life. If I know you better, you'll probably get a "So, how's ___(fill in the blank with any non-work related activity we've discussed before or some work-related situation I know you're dealing with)___ going for you?" If we're good friends, I'll probably stop and carry on a conversation for a while. Are these criteria too unreasonable?!?! I dont' think so!!!!

That being said, I'm still not sure if I can pass someone I know in the hall, say 'hello', and not immediately follow it up with a 'how are you?'. It may be innately impossible for me. I am, after all, 1.) Southern, 2.) my mother's daughter, and 3.) a struggling, borderline extrovert. However, I shall try.

In the situations where I really don't have anything to discuss with unknown passers by, or the cases where I'm literally just walking so fast that, by the time I could get around to returning the favor and asking how someone's doing, I would be having to literally walk backwards and talk to their rear end...I think I'll just maintain my forward motion, offer a smile, maybe a wave, and at the very least a nod. If they ask how I am, I'll proably just say "good." I hope no one takes it personally. It's not a lack of concern or care or consideration. It's just my refusal to be fake and continue in the rhetorical nonsense.

On the same token, don't be surprised if I stop you and ask how your kids/new job/favorite team/etc. are these days. I promise I do care.

Q: Why do we continue to ask rhetorical questions?

A: Fine. How are you?