There are two types of people that ask this question.

The compassionate. These people are legitimately caring by nature and want to do what they can to make your current experience a little more bearable by offering their shoulder to you. They make genuine attempts to console you, or at least make sure you’re okay and give you words of advice when asked. They do not try to “pry” when you clearly do not want to talk about it. They are concerned for your well-being and do what they can to aid you in your times of suffering.

The curious. These people are only asking you because they want the “juice” of the drama. Who did what to you? How messed up was it? Once they have gotten the information out of you, they turn their backs and leave you to your suffering. Then they go and tell all of their friends as if your business is their own—just another story, another hot topic to talk about for the moment until something much bigger and much worse decides to reveal itself.

The differentiation between the two divides people with a very fine line, explaining why sometimes we shake our heads and spill our hearts out, and why we sometimes just respond to their question with a simple “Yes.”

To the compassionate, thank you for your concern.
To the curious? Well. Fuck you.