In some ways it seems manipulative. Sometimes it is indeed a yes or no question, but most people know that certain answers require further explanation. It gives off the impression that you don’t wanna hear someone’s side of the story/debate. Sometimes “yes, but” or “no, but” is warranted.

  • 🇰 🌀 🇱 🇦 🇳 🇦 🇰 ℹ️
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    213 months ago

    I’ve only used and heard this phrase used when it’s a simple matter of yes or no and no other input is warranted at all.

    “Are you hungry?” “Are you cold?” “Do you wanna go home?” “Am I lined up?” “Did they win?” “Is it ready?”

    None of these need more than a yes or a no as a response. Nobody needs to hear your whole life story just because they asked if you were comfortable in the chair you’re sitting in. It was a yes or no question.

    • Daemon Silverstein
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      3 months ago

      Do you wanna go home?

      This is one example of a question that does not necessarily fits the dichotomy of yes/no. I’ll give some hypothetical scenarios below:

      Scenario 1: Alice is at her workplace, but she’s feeling sick, a strong headache and palpitation. Bob, his boss, asks “Hey Alice, you seem to not be feeling well. Do you wanna go home?”. If she simply replies “No”, it’d imply that she wants to continue to be at work. If she replies “yes”, it’d imply that she’ll go straight to her home, without seeking a hospital. Her correct answer here would be “Actually I wanna go to the hospital”.

      Scenario 2: Charlie and Dean, are buying groceries at the supermarket. At the check-out, Charlie, who’ll pay their purchase, realizes he forgot his card at his home (they don’t use payment apps, neither cash). Dean asks “Do you wanna go home?”. If “yes”, it’d imply the abandonment of the purchase. If “no”, Charlie have no way of paying the purchase. Charlie is thinking of going to an ATM where his biometrics are alternative to access his bank account via the ATM so he can withdraw some cash. His correct answer here would be “Actually I’m going to an ATM”

      I know the scenarios aren’t great scenarios, I’m out of examples here. Also, I dunno if I’m too much of a detail-oriented person, but I cannot see a fitting place for a simple yes or no here.

    • @illi@lemm.ee
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      03 months ago

      “Are you hungry?”

      You can not be hungry and still want to eat something. Or not be hungry now, but you know you probably soon will be.

      “Are you cold?”

      It happens you are not cold enough to say you are cold, but not entirely comfortable either

    • @lriv724@discuss.onlineOP
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      -43 months ago

      Did you miss the part where I said “story/debate?” None of the questions you put fit that description. I even mentioned that there are some questions that do indeed only need a yes or no.