Thread by @BonicMichael

The Meaning of Yin and Yang
Meaning, Origins, and Uses of Yin and Yang in Chinese Culture
thoughtco.com/yin-and-yang-6…
Yin and yang (or yin-yang) is a complex relational concept in Chinese culture that has developed over thousands of years. Briefly put, the meaning of yin and yang is

2/"that the universe is governed by a cosmic duality, sets of two opposing and complementing principles or cosmic energies that can be observed in nature…

Generally speaking, yin is characterized as an inward energy that is feminine, still, dark, and negative. On the other

3/"hand, yang is characterized as outward energy, masculine, hot, bright, and positive.

…The balance of yin and yang is important. If yin is stronger, yang will be weaker, and vice versa. Yin and yang can interchange under certain conditions so that they are usually not yin and

4/"yang alone. In other words, yin elements can contain certain parts of yang, and yang can have some components of yin. This balance of yin and yang is perceived to exist in everything.

The Yin Yang Symbol
The yin-yang symbol (also known as the Tai Chi symbol) consists of a

5/"circle divided into two halves by a curved line. One half of the circle is black, typically representing the yin side; the other is white, for the yang side. A dot of each color is situated near the center of the other's half. The two halves are thus intertwining across a

6/"spiral-like curve that splits the whole into semicircles, and the small dots represent the idea that both sides carry the seed of the other.

The white dot in the black area and the black dot in the white area connote coexistence and unity of opposites to form a whole. The

7/"curvy line signifies that there are no absolute separations between the two opposites. The yin-yang symbol, then, embodies both sides: duality, paradox, unity in diversity, change, and harmony."

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