Say yes to naysayers, they serve a purpose

Yes men - bless them - are the human equivalent of a nodding dashboard bobblehead. They agree with everything: bad ideas, worse outfits, and PPT slides that look like Rorschach inkblots. But here's the rub: even the most enthusiastic sycophant needs a naysayer. Why? Because someone has to stop the CEO from launching a tofu-scented cologne. Naysayers are the designated drivers of decision-making. They're the ones who say, 'Maybe don't tweet that at 2 a.m.' Or, 'Perhaps the company retreat shouldn't involve mescal and a live bear.' They're not killjoys but joy preservers. And fanboys and fangirls should really understand that without these critics, they'd be one globular mass of melodramatic adulators.

Even Shakespeare had a fool to speak truth to power - speak 'Just in Jest', if you will. And if Hamlet had listened to anyone saying, 'Dude, maybe don't stab random people behind curtains,' we'd have one less tragedy and one more functioning Danish monarchy. Yes men, bless their agreeable hearts, are great for morale but terrible for reality checks. Naysayers are the wasabi to your sushi roll of consensus. They sting, but keep you awake. So, next time someone says 'no', don't fire them. They just saved you from launching a podcast called, '50 Best Pubs and Bars for Teetotallers'. And if you're still unconvinced, well... no. Just no.