Waffling

A common pattern in improvisation where performers avoid making decisions, taking positions, or defining anything in a scene, causing the action to stall. Often arising from fear, waffling represents a refusal to commit to declarative statements, emotional stances, or concrete details, even when any choice would suffice to move the scene forward. When both players fall into this pattern simultaneously, it creates an impasse sometimes called a "double wimp," with neither performer willing to advance the narrative. Performers who waffle may appear inventive in their avoidance, finding elaborate ways to sidestep the fundamental rules of acceptance and commitment without overtly breaking them. The behavior is closely related to hedging and wimping, all of which stem from a reluctance to risk being wrong or looking foolish. In ComedySportz, waffling is a named foul signaled with a two-handed wavy gesture, indicating the scene is stuck and going nowhere; the penalty may be assessed against the offending player or the entire team. While waffling is a natural human tendency, recognizing it is a critical step in improv training. Instructors sometimes have students deliberately enact scenes while waffling so they can feel the difference between resistant acceptance and genuine commitment, making the habit easier to identify and correct in performance.