The Healing Power of Saying No

'No' sobers up: a boundary appears. One decides: 'enough', and even dares to say it aloud. 'No,' he says, 'there won't be a fifteenth cookie (eighteenth time on credit)'. The one to whom it is addressed thinks: indeed, I will have to get up and get the cookies myself (finally go to work). One learns to refuse, the other learns to do something themselves. And now both know that there is a limit. And both feel better because of it.