October 31, 2026
National Public Radio airs a game show called Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! Recorded before a live audience and hosted by Peter Sagal, this lively news quiz features contestants, comedians, and celebrity guests answering questions with plenty of laughter along the way.
I like the name of the show—"Wait, wait, don't tell me!" Most of us have said that phrase when a name or an answer is on the tip of our tongue and someone is about to blurt it out. In frustration, we ask them to wait and not tell the answer because we want to think of it and say it ourselves.
Why? This comes from an honest human desire to complete a task or meet a challenge. Getting the answer right, winning a game, or solving a problem gives us affirmation—the "Attagirl!" or "Attaboy!" we all need. It is also a form of self-affirmation: we confirm our own competence, abilities, and merit. We can get the same feeling of competence when watching Jeopardy. Sometimes the answer does not stay on the tip of our tongue but comes forth loud and clear!
We understand more clearly why we are wired this way when we realize that every Enneagram point is within us. The part of us that wants to win, get the right answer, display competence, and receive praise is, in great measure, reflected in Point Three on the Enneagram of Personality. Here, the ego seeks accomplishment, purposeful action, admiration, and recognition of its abilities. It wants to succeed, to prevail, and, most of all, to avoid failure. The desire to succeed draws upon our human life force—our will to survive and thrive.
The phrase "Wait, wait, don't tell me!" helps preserve our life force and is packed with meaning. First, it takes control of the moment by asking others to hold back the answer. The word "wait" establishes a boundary: it says, "Stop for a moment and let me think." It may also express a firm refusal of hints or help because we want the satisfaction of discovering the answer ourselves. Above all, the phrase buys time. With others holding back, we have space for the answer to emerge from our own inner library.
In spiritual life, we sometimes need to say, "Wait, wait." We set boundaries that protect our time, energy, and resources. By asking others to "wait, wait," we also give ourselves time for what is sacred to us. Asking another person to wait can give us room to listen within and discern the right time to act. Sometimes we even have to tell our ego, "Wait, wait!"
There are many ways waiting can honor spiritual timing:
Wait before anything else is said or done. Wait until we have rested. Wait until we have discerned. Wait before we assume or accuse. Wait for God’s word. Wait until there is alignment with the Divine. Wait for the light at the end of the tunnel. Wait for the truth to emerge. Wait for the power of love to work its miracle.
"Wait" does not always have to be a command. It can be a gentle request. Waiting can hold space for presence, consciousness, aligned action, and, most of all, the sacred emerging within us.
So now, when I hear the game show's title, Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, it also reminds me of the beauty of claiming a moment to listen and allow my soul to tell me.
Spiritual Practice and Inquiry
Is anything rushing you to do something? Is there anything you feel pushed to finish? How has this pressure helped or hindered you? If it has hindered your spirit, would it be spiritually healthier to ask for time—to wait and create spaciousness for discernment?
Prayer
Dear God,
I pray for the courage to pause my activity and wait in Your presence. Help me honor the spaciousness in which my soul can emerge.
Amen
