Why Men Say ‘Yes’ When They Really Mean ‘No’ (and Not ‘Maybe’)

“When you say ‘Yes’ to others, make sure you are not saying ‘No’ to yourself.” ― Paolo Coehlo

Your coworker asked you to work late for him on Friday. As soon as the “Yes” was out of your mouth, you regretted it.

You have plans to go see that new Will Smith movie with your girlfriend. Now, you’re going to have to cancel on her.

You were invited to have lunch with some of the guys from your golf club. The only problem is you have a million things to do today. So, why did you say “Yes”?

Sometimes you say “Yes” when you really mean “No” because:

• You feel guilty
• You feel obligated
• You’re afraid people will think poorly of you (you’re a slacker, a bad father, not a team player)
• You’re afraid of conflict
• You don’t want to let people down
• It’s a habit
• It’s the polite thing to do
• You think no one else will do it
• You want people to think you’re a nice or good person
• You’ve got FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)
• You think you have to do it all

My client, Jeremy* recognized that he’d accepted a date with a coworker even though he didn’t feel ready to start dating again.

He was still healing after the end of his last relationship. Now, he was dreading the date and beating himself up for impulsively saying “Yes.” Jeremy wanted out of the date, but was afraid to tell the woman he’d made a mistake. As we talked, Jeremy realized that he’d said “Yes” because he was afraid of hurting her feelings, he was lonely, and out of habit.

Saying “Yes” was a way to avoid feeling guilty for rejecting this woman. He was used to putting others first and himself last.

Guilt is the feeling that you are doing something wrong. I challenged Jeremy to consider whether saying “No” was really doing something wrong.

Is it wrong to act according to what’s in your own best interest? Assuming it’s not hurting anyone, I’d say it’s healthy to pay attention to your own needs. Jeremy needed to honor his own needs by declining the invitation because he didn’t feel ready to date yet. Refusing the date aligns with his personal needs and feelings. Accepting the date created tremendous stress. I pointed out that his efforts to avoid feeling bad by saying “No” had led to him feeling equally bad in another way. Jeremy was suffering as a result of saying “Yes” when he really meant “No.” Jeremy felt intense anxiety about the upcoming date. He couldn’t sleep and was trying to avoid his coworker at the office.

When you agree to something you don’t want to do, you think you’re avoiding negative feelings but you’re just substituting one bad feeling for another.

You don’t have to explain why you’re saying “No.” However, if you choose to provide an explanation, keep it simple, polite, and focused on yourself. In this case, I suggested Jeremy could say something like: “I’m really sorry that I need to cancel our date. I’ve realized that I’m just not emotionally ready to start dating again and I regret that I didn’t recognize that when you asked me out.” Make sure your “No” is clear. Don’t say maybe, when you really mean no. It’s not fair to lead people on or drag out the inevitable.

You can only control your part of the exchange.

Let go of the reaction. Most people will understand an explanation like Jeremy used. However, emotionally unhealthy, insecure, narcissistic, or toxic people will not.

That doesn’t make you wrong or bad for asserting your needs.

*Name and details changed to protect privacy.

◊♦◊

If you need a bit of help to strengthen your boundaries, download a copy of Sharon’s workbook Setting Boundaries Without Guilt.

—

Originally published on PsychCentral.com and is republished on Medium.

—

Photo credit: iStock

Read Sharon Martin every week here on The Good Men Project!

What’s your take on what you just read? Comment below or write a response and submit to us your own point of view or reaction here at our Submittable link.

And thank you for sharing this!