Positive Answers Day

“Don’t take it in black and white, don’t say yes or no!” - this is the beginning of a well-known children's game, which is pronounced by the driver at the very beginning. Comic traditions and holidays are present in adult life. One of the fun celebrations that is celebrated on December 3rd is Positive Answers Day. The holiday encourages you to show imagination and even cunning when communicating with relatives and friends. Traditionally, on December 3, people ask questions to which they would like to receive an affirmative answer. On this day you should only say “yes” to any request, so children and adults actively take advantage of the chance to achieve what they want. Some people skip school on Positive Answers Day, buy a lot of popcorn and cotton candy, while others beg for forgiveness or get consent to a marriage proposal. Psychologists give advice to help those who decide to celebrate the holiday to achieve their goals. First, you should ask a question to which the answer is definitely negative. And after it - the second one, to which I would like to hear the cherished “yes”. “Dad, can I take your car for a ride with the guys?” - asks the 19-year-old son. A father who is not ready to give the car keys, because... The last time the trip ended with a broken headlight, he answers in the negative. “Well, can you at least give me money for the cafe?” - the son asks the second question, receiving an affirmative answer. An unusual holiday is a good reason to make fun of others. In Astrid Lindgren's novel, Carlson asked Miss Hildur Bock a question that can be answered neither “yes” nor “no.” "Have you stopped drinking cognac in the morning?" - the prankster with the propeller asked Baby’s nanny. By saying “yes,” Miss Bok would confirm the fact that she was addicted to this alcoholic drink, “no,” that she continues to drink alcohol in the first half of the day. The nanny answered negatively and immediately heard from Carlson: “It’s a pity, it’s a pity... Drunkenness does not lead to good.” Funny trap questions based on false statements provide plenty of room for imagination. "Have you stopped working for the CIA long ago?" or "Do your parents know you smoke?" - examples of sophisms: formally correct conclusions that are essentially false. These and similar questions cannot be answered with a “yes” or “no” because they were created using incorrect assumptions. Ancient Greek thinkers, great lovers of dialectics and sophistry, resorted to such entertainment. Thus, Heraclides of Pontus in his writings mentions the question asked to him by the philosopher Alexin: “Have you stopped beating your father?” “And he did not beat, and did not stop,” answered Heraclides. But his counterpart insisted that a simple “yes” or “no” be said to avoid ambiguity. In honor of Positive Answers Day, you can follow the example of the Greek philosophers and make fun of those who are not ready to meet them halfway. “Are you no longer losing your entire salary in online casinos?” “Have you stopped writing denunciations against your colleagues?” or “Are you still communicating with aliens?” will confuse anyone. Answers to trap questions, as a rule, immediately cause bewilderment, and then laughter, which improves mood and vitality.