Yes or no are two simple words we use all of the time. The convenience in using them is they are short words with very clear meaning. Never meant to deceive. These words though, carry with them nuance that is always based on context. Providing a much different emphasis, each time, that we can easily miss. Making our yes or no answers more complicated than we think.
Where nuance is most commonly missed is in the area of possibility. Answers of yes or no, rarely consider this when stated. Yes always directionally leads us to possibility. Yet never promising success. No, denies possibility its existence.
Our ego easily wraps itself around yes and no. Answering yes, sometimes occurs because what we say yes to fits our worldview and beliefs even though we could be wrong in either how we see the world or in what we believe. In this context, an answer of no can be a declaration of “I don’t agree with you”. End of story.
We sometimes offer a yes answer to simply soothe someone who is angry, suffering or full of frustration. More as a form of compassion. No can be a tool to use when boundaries or constraints need to be enforced regardless of possibilities.
We sometimes enforce our status through the use of a yes or no answer. Using these simple words as a gatekeeper of our authority and its reach.
There are other times where we use yes or no quickly, without much thought, because we are too busy. Mindlessly answering simply to move past the interruption we currently face.
No doubt, answering with a yes or no, can show confidence or clarity in your thinking. There is no hesitation when we use these two simple words.
Here’s to hoping we pause, for one brief moment, to try to assess what is hidden behind our yes or no answers. So we become more thoughtful in order to make less mistakes by better understanding why we answer the way we do before doing so. Giving us a chance for more of life to reveal itself during our journey.