I went to a tattoo parlor and had YES written onto the palm of my left hand, and NO onto my right palm, what can I say, it hasn't made life wonderful, it's made life possible, when I rub my hands against each other in the middle of winter I am warming myself with the friction of YES and NO, when I clap my hands I am showing my appreciation through the uniting and parting of YES and NO, I signify "book" by peeling open my clapped hands, every book, for me, is the balance of YES and NO.
The author, Jonathan Safran Foer, shares a personal and symbolic gesture of having the words "YES" and "NO" tattooed on his palms. This choice represents the dualities of life, where both affirmations and rejections are essential to existence. He reflects on how these tattoos contribute to his experience of life, allowing him to navigate the complexities and contradictions of reality.
Foer suggests that the act of rubbing his hands together in winter brings warmth, highlighting the interplay between acceptance and refusal. When he claps his hands, he expresses gratitude, and he views each book as a reflection of the balance between these two forces. In this way, he conveys how literature encapsulates the human experience of balancing choices and values.
