Faith & The Power of "Yes...and" Thinking

Lee Hecht Harrison

One of the primary rules of improvisational comedy is "yes." Meaning whatever your partner or member of the improv group is doing, you agree to it and then add to the sketch. Simply put, the rule is "yes, and..."

You could definitely say that binary (either...or) thinking does not work in the world of improv.

It doesn't work for a variety of reasons, including:
- improv means you're a member of a group
- improv means surrendering your individual preference, in terms of how the sketch develops
- improv means paying attention to the 'greater good' of the group
- improv means opening yourself up to the creativity of others.

It does not mean giving up your own creativity, or preference, but realizing there are other perspectives and that your creativity actually can be used to bring forth an even better, well-developed sketch.

Of course, the 'yes, and" rule of improv also means more enjoyment is to be had by everyone - the members of the improv group and the audience - who get to participate in the free-flowing formation of the sketch.

Interestingly, this same rule can work out in real life situations as well.

Take, for instance, matters of faith.

I can hold on to my own belief system and, at the same time, respect the religious viewpoints of others.

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Practically speaking, that means:
- not judging the faith of others as being inferior or incomplete
- not thinking my own faith view is the only valid one
- making room for dialogue on things we can agree on

Eboo Patel's book OUT OF MANY FAITHS contains a lively discourse on pluralism and faith perspectives. The book also includes three commentaries. I found the one by Robert P. Jones to be especially insightful.  Jones writes: "In my family's dining room is an antique table from the 1940s with six chairs. But one of the chairs is constructed differently from the rest. It is broader than the other chairs, and it is the only one with armrests. Sometimes called the 'captain's chair,' it was designed for the head of the table. Historically, that chair was meant to architecturally reinforce hierarchical family relationships, with the father occupying that throne-like seat, from which he could control the flow of the meal and the topics of conversation."

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Jones continues: If we imagine America gathered around a dining room table, until very recently, white Christians, and particularly white Protestants, felt like they owned the table and were entitled to the patriarch's position. Others might be invited to pull up a chair, either as subordinate family members or as guests, but the power relationships and expectations were understood by all. If we are going to make progress toward fulfilling our nation's promise of religious liberty for all, we have to be clear about the problem. The chief impediment for pluralism today is not that we have run out of chairs. Rather, it is that many white Christians have been reluctant to relinquish the privileged seat of power."

A "yes, and" point of view also makes for a dynamic, well-rounded, inclusive discussion, tailor-made to attract diverse input. 

It's out-of-the-box, flexible, free-flowing and encourages the type of conversation where healing happens.

True Confession: I am not naturally prone to flexible thinking! It's a constant struggle to remind myself that my own point of view isn't the complete one, or the "right" one. 

But I keep at it because creation doesn't seem to be linear. Creation changes and evolves because it's a living, breathing thing.