Allison Roth
October 26, 2016
Period 4
Wallace, Danny. Yes Man. New York: Simon Spotlight Entertainment, 2005. Print.
Keeping a Closed Mind is a Disease
"But there were also people who knew... pain.
The pain of missing something; the pain of not knowing what could have happened; the pain of discovering that sometimes, opportunity really will only knock once; the pain of knowing where a No had brought them and realising too late when a Yes in its place could have led them.
The pain not necessarily of having said no, but of not having grabbed a Yes" (360).
At the end of his novel, Danny Wallace reflects on his year-long journey of only replying "yes". He realizes that the life he led before his expedition was one of pain. He recalls the feeling regret when he later realizes that he should have said yes to a said offer. After gaining a more positive outlook on life, Danny realizes that many people feel this same pain and should say yes more in order to take the few opportunities offered in life. It is only at the end of his journey, that Danny is able to feel empathy towards those, like his old self, who regret always turning down opportunities.
At the end of his novel, Danny Wallace reflects on his year-long journey of only replying "yes". He realizes that the life he led before his expedition was one of pain. He recalls the feeling regret when he later realizes that he should have said yes to a said offer. After gaining a more positive outlook on life, Danny realizes that many people feel this same pain and should say yes more in order to take the few opportunities offered in life. It is only at the end of his journey, that Danny is able to feel empathy towards those, like his old self, who regret always turning down opportunities.
This passage reflects the overall theme of the novel that life is full of limited opportunity. Many men and women in the world feel a sense of regret every time an opportunity passes by and he or she doesn't catch it. Danny learns that during these times, it is important to say yes and embark on the new journey rather than shy away. He notes that the pain does not arise from rejecting the opportunity and being negative, but from not seizing an opportunity. In the beginning of the novel, Danny was full of pain and sorrow from the "what-ifs" in his life, but after going a year of saying yes to every opportunity, he learns that the pain he felt was for not being audacious enough to go outside his comfort zone and try something new.
"I realised now all too clearly that you can't live life as a total optimist... At some point you have to grow up, move on... Responsibility comes to us all. Life can't just be about fun. We have to sacrifice our freedom sometimes, so that we can progress" (243).
At this point in the novel, Danny receives a promotion to "Head of Department". Even though he is escatic and initially blames it on his "yes" phase, he realizes that it is the total opposite. Danny sees this promotion as a way of telling him to focus on life and not live like a child- carefree and reckless. He sees his promotion as an anchor to tie him down and live life like an adult. He now believes that saying no gives power and a grip on one's life while yes opens doors that have no end to the mercurial outcomes.
Danny's new job as Head of Department causes him to rethink his yes expedition. He realizes that saying yes, a freedom we all share, does not always bring luck or opportunity. He now understands that not saying yes may give up our freedom but it allows us to move forward and onto more stable things. Danny also notes that when saying yes to something he didn't want to say yes to, that he was actually saying no to himself. Saying yes gave him freedom, but with that freedom came room to be taken advantage of or obligation to do something he didn't want to do. His new job with moe responsibilities was a reminder that Danny cannot live efficiently by saying yes to everything, and must say no sometimes in order to move on in life.
At this point in the novel, Danny receives a promotion to "Head of Department". Even though he is escatic and initially blames it on his "yes" phase, he realizes that it is the total opposite. Danny sees this promotion as a way of telling him to focus on life and not live like a child- carefree and reckless. He sees his promotion as an anchor to tie him down and live life like an adult. He now believes that saying no gives power and a grip on one's life while yes opens doors that have no end to the mercurial outcomes.
Danny's new job as Head of Department causes him to rethink his yes expedition. He realizes that saying yes, a freedom we all share, does not always bring luck or opportunity. He now understands that not saying yes may give up our freedom but it allows us to move forward and onto more stable things. Danny also notes that when saying yes to something he didn't want to say yes to, that he was actually saying no to himself. Saying yes gave him freedom, but with that freedom came room to be taken advantage of or obligation to do something he didn't want to do. His new job with moe responsibilities was a reminder that Danny cannot live efficiently by saying yes to everything, and must say no sometimes in order to move on in life.
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