Is there a better way to answer a question that has two sort of correct responses?

The question is specifically asking whether the sky is red. So the correct answer would be “No”.

@Seelix : Which is why it’s a bad example, I realize that.

I’m trying to think of a question that could be answered with both yes and no, and I’m having a hard time of it. Maybe someone else will come up with something…

@Seelix : But you know what I’m talking about, right?

Hmmm… I think I might know what kind of question you mean?

Say somebody says, “Sara doesn’t have any siblings, right?” and Sara doesn’t have any siblings.

You might say “Yes” meaning, “yes, you’re right” or “no” meaning “no, she doesn’t have any siblings.”
I feel like “yes” is a less misleading answer, though.

Is that what you meant?

@Mariah : That’s exactly it!

@troubleinharlem Okay cool! Well, usually in that situation I’d make it clear by saying “yup, you’re right” or saying “nope, no siblings” or something like that.

I guess you could just answer “yes, she does,” or “no, she doesn’t,” but if you’re looking for a less cumbersome way, I believe that the answer “no” would mean that Sara does have siblings, whereas “yes” would indicate that she does not. The tricky part is that you’re saying yes to indicate that a negative statement is correct, which usually shouldn’t happen.
So in conclusion, try not to ask questions phrased as negative statements.

How about a question like this:
Do you like to paint?

If you sorta kinda like to paint, don’t really like it, don’t hate it either, I guess you could just try to explain quickly.

I say meh’.. and shrug my shoulders to express my indifference, if thats how i feel.

That depends on how important it is to me.

Yes.

Some languages have special words to make it clear when you are disagreeing with a question like this. In French, for instance, the word “si” is used to contradict a negative. Someone says “Elle n’a pas de soeur” (meaning “She does not have a sister”). Both “oui” and “non” (that is, “yes” and “no”) would indicate agreement, but you can say “Si!” to disagree (meaning that she does have a sister).

There isn’t a single word in English to convey disagreement with a negative, but there is a formality to deal with such situations. It is to say “but yes” as in “But yes, she does have a sister!”

However, this will work only if the question is framed in negative terms. Are there any questions for which “yes” and “no” are both affirmative responses but that are not framed negatively?

If the question is, “Does a dog have Buddha nature?” then you can answer, “Mu.”
If the question is, “Do these pants make me look fat?” then do not answer “Mu.”

answer yenos

I would answer the question by first saying that it really isn’t a clear yes or no answer, then I would give descriptions of what I mean, giving 2 or more examples to illustrate the point.

No.

@koanhead : What is mu?

@troubleinharlem “Mu” is a word that allegedly means “not yes, not no” or that the question cannot be answered. I don’t know what the word really means because the word is Japanese and I don’t know that language.
My answer is adapted from an old koan, see the second example from the link.