Lately I’ve been using a very simple but VERY powerful method called “yes, and…”. This method comes from improvisational theater, where it is the most basic rule. When you’re on the stage doing improv theatre, every idea proposed by another actor must always be accepted. You can add to it, but you can’t reject it – and you’d look pretty foolish on the stage if you tried. Hence the “Yes, and…”
But “yes, and…” can be used in many other situations, and mainly it can be used to counter the ingrained tendency to say no, that many people today exhibit, particularly when pressed or stressed. It’s often safer , easier and more comfortable to say no.
One case where “yes, and…” works especially well is when brainstorming for ideas. When people know in advance, that any idea proposed will be received positively, they feel much more free to suggest any ideas they may have. In this way you get many more ideas to work with. Ultimately, “yes, and…” can teach us a positive and healthy attitude of saying yes to life, and to whatever reality surrounds us.
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