Column Chronicles
 
Yes and no but never both
 
 
Frank Cotolo
November 5, 2020
 
Often, you will hear guests on talk shows, commentators, teachers and other so-called experts answer a yes-or-no question with two answers. The person says, "Yes and no".
 
Let's get something straight - there is no question that is served well by an answer of yes and no. All questions requiring a yes or no answer need to be answered yes or no.
 
A question cannot have two answers that are conflicting. The answer yes is affirmative and the answer no is negative. There is no negative in yes and there is no affirmation in no.
 
Yes is yes.
 
No is no.
 
Yes and no do not go together at all at any time. Yes and no are enemies. Yes and no are opposites and opposites cannot be the same because - they are opposites.
 
If a person asks if it is raining when it is raining, the answer to the question is "Yes" because it is raining. It has to be raining if it is raining. So, one cannot answer "Is it raining" by saying, "Yes and no".
 
People who answer any question saying yes and no actually mean "this much of this and that much of that". In other words, they mean there is a mixture of two things. Yes and no, however, can never mix; they cannot mix and will never mix.
 
As a term that does not literally mean yes and no, saying yes or no is a terrible reflection on the person answering. There is an obvious question to follow the answer yes or no. Some one should say, "Which is it?" This would defy the person answering with yes and no as opposed to committing the answer to yes or no. Plus, there is the fact that no one deserves an answer that both affirms and rejects.
 
Imagine if you were very ill and went to the doctor for an examination. Afterwards, you ask the doctor a question.
 
"Doctor, have you found anything serious to be wrong with me?"
 
The doctor says, "Yes and no."
 
You would be confused, though somewhat happy, wanting the answer to that question to be entirely "No". You would not want any amount of "Yes" in that answer. A speck of "Yes" would be devastating, even though you would have to inquire further as to the meaning.
 
Also, what about being under oath? It would be convenient to battle perjury by telling the lie and the truth, that is, which is true, the yes or the no?
 
Now, is this indictment of the term "yes or no" finished?
 
Yes.
 
Frank Cotolo can be found hosting the talk and interview programme Cotolo Chronicles. You can send him an e-mail at this address: frank@148.ca.
Copyright © 2009-2020 SRN Mediaworks Productions, in association with Frank Cotolo.
All rights reserved. We are not responsible for the content of external links.
148.ca | Cafe | Fab | Radio | Local