The third rail
Leave them guessing
There are alternatives to yes and no. There is always maybe. A parent’s favorite use of maybe is to postpone the inevitable. Maybe can also be the thinking about-it-sound that leaves your lips as you are selecting what you really want to say. Maybe is the wishing word that stands in for a relative lack of chance. Or maybe it is just a word that hasn’t met its truest meaning. As in maybe something isn’t known yet. That one takes courage to say because it is a place holder for some absolute. When there is ambiguity, maybe is perfect. It can hold off a more immediate response or it can be what is stated when a better result is a down-ballot option that no one wants to work toward. Maybe has depth. It morphs when possible and represents the love of scientists and great thinkers. Maybe has possibility. In a world where everyone thinks they know best, maybe has a true calling. Maybe can result in raised eyebrows and widened eyes and that look is super fun to see on the face of those who know it all. This undervalued word needs to be given its reward for hanging around so long. Maybe it’s time to put it into wider circulation.
Pretty sure
Option #1: When did you last say maybe to yourself?
Option #2: How can you parlay maybe into your daily vocabulary?
Option #3: Is there any reason to think that what you are doing is a maybe?
That’s it. After you choose the option that best describes using maybe to you, take a few minutes to describe why you chose that option and what action, if any, may come next.
