The Apprentice: The Yes Man

By Kizzy Katawonga:

You know him. He’s everywhere around us.

He's so common we notice him about as much as we notice that back of our hand.

He doesn't stand out at all. Nothing out of the ordinary.

He never breaks the status quo, never rocks the boat. He's boring and predictable.

He gets along with everyone, offending no one. He's a safe bet. Marriage material!!!

He's your friend, co-worker, brother, husband.

We love the yes man. We love him because he always agrees with us. Never argues or talks back. We always get our way with him. He's easily used. He does those things we don't want to do ourselves.

At work, he covers for us while we go out to do our own stuff on company time, sometimes even does our work.

In school he gives us his lunch money and does our homework.

In the relationship he always chooses the restaurant she wants, the house she wants, he sits and gossips with her girlfriends and carries her excessive shopping from tedious store to store without complaining.

At home he always gives the kids what they want, not necessarily what's good for them. He's the kid and they are the parent. He dare not punish them for wrong doing. He ignores their wrong and dangerous life choices.

The Yes man.

We are so glad for him because around him, we never have to face the fact that we really are full of it!

That we don't know everything and we aren't always right. Around him we can get away with anything and not be held accountable.

Around him we are comfortable because our mediocrity is never brought to light because let's face it, it takes hard work to be our best selves.

The Yes man. I say kill him now.

We've had enough of these subservient, silent men. These people pleasers, door mats, stooges!

The world is dying around us, kids are being lost, families, societies & economies are crumbling because of him. Nobody stands for anything anymore but everyone falls for everything because of the Yes man.

He says yes to war and plunder. He says yes to greed and corruption.

He says yes to poverty and disease. He says yes to infidelity and abandoning family.

He says yes to sexual perversion and pornography. He says yes to passivity and indecision.

He says yes to frivolity and excess. He says yes to not raising his kids.

He says yes to our insecurities and fears.

Well, I say yes to killing off the Yes man.

The world needs more men who aren't afraid to say no, unafraid to shake things up, go against convention.

So here’s me saying a very loud “NO!”