Yes, but

Techniques > Conversation techniques > Interrupting > Yes, but

Description | Example | Discussion | See also

Description

Say 'Yes, but', then say what you want to say.

You can use this to completely ignore what was just said and say something completely different.

You can also use it to object to what is said, showing them how they are wrong.

Example

Yes, but have you considered the Russian influence?

Yes, but I want to go out tomorrow.

Yes, I can see how that is a valid viewpoint, but we can also look at it from another angle.

Discussion

This is a form of agreement interrupt, with a very brief agreement ('yes'). It is actually not an agreement at all, as in effect the 'but' cancels out everything that was said before.

This may well cause the other person to fight back and can be taken as an insult or attempted power-play (which is often is). This effect is exaggerated as the disagreement is separated from the other person's words only by the word 'yes'. If you added some other mollifying words after the 'yes'.