The “Yes And” Rule | Nerd Fitness

A few years ago, I attended my friend Nick’s 40th birthday party.

As part of the celebration, he hired an improv comic, and we all should join in learning improv comedy.

(I can just feel the collective shudder of all the introverts reading this newsletter).

We started throwing fun scenarios and scenes involved, and we learned about the most important rule of Improv: “Yes and.”

Two simple words, and the foundation of all improv comedy:

Whenever a scene, sentence, or situation comes up, the ONLY acceptable answer is: “yes and”

• Yes: Acceptance! I accept and admit that no matter the situation, no matter how silly, it is true.
• And: construction! Just like in a tennis match, after your improv partner hits the ball to you, your job is to hit it back! Establish the situation or scene.

For example, if your improv partner says, “I’m a space pirate” your response might be:

• “Yes, and I’m the space police, you’re under arrest!”
• “Yeah, and I’m a first mate looking for a new crew, this is perfect!”
• “Yes, and my name is Captain Hook, welcome to Pirates Anonymous.”

The “yes and” rule is very important, because there is nothing worse than a bad development partner!

Like Liam Neeson thatthis brief sketchthat with Ricky Gervais, (I laugh every time):

The Yes And Rule Of Life

As a former overachieving “gifted child” with a negative inner critic, I try hard to incorporate “yes and” into my life.

The “yes” part is built around acceptance, which is something I’ve spent the last two years working to embrace.

Check out my previous essays on thatRECEIVINGthat and thatWabi Sabithat for more.

It’s the “and” part I’ve been focusing on lately.

As pointed out by Dr. Kristen Neff in her book thatSelf pitythatlife is complicated and so are people:

“Judgment defines people as bad versus good and tries to capture their essential nature with simplistic labels.

Discrimination in wisdom recognizes complexity and ambiguity.”

Nothing is as simple as it seems. Things are not as good or bad as our brain thinks.

So despite the voice in our heads that wants to judge everything in black-or-white, yes-or-no, good-or-bad terms… We have to remember that life is a beautiful complex which is messy.

Author F. Scott Fitzgerald once said:

The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two conflicting ideas in mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to act.

One must, for example, see that things are hopeless and yet be determined to make them different.

This is my task for you today.

Is there an area of ​​your life that feels black-or-white, and could use a little complexity?

Nothing is as simple as it seems.

Life is hard, and change is hard. AND you are a good person who tries.

Which means there is hope. and thathope is the warrior emotionthat.

Also, please see that thatLiam Neeson skitthat.

You accept.

-Steve

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