yinyang

Yin and yang is a core concept in Chinese philosophy and cosmology describing how complementary forces are interdependent and continuously transform each other. Yin is typically associated with darkness, receptivity, and the feminine, while yang is associated with light, activity, and the masculine. The two are not absolute opposites; rather, each contains a seed of the other and exists only in relation to the other.

The idea appears in early Chinese texts such as the I Ching (Book of Changes) and was developed in Daoist philosophy as a framework for understanding change and balance. It later permeated Confucian thought and broad Chinese culture, influencing medicine, divination, and daily life.

The taijitu, or yin-yang symbol, represents their relationship. It shows a circle divided by a flowing S-shaped line into black and white halves, with a dot of the opposite color in each half. The design conveys continuous exchange and balance between forces.

In philosophy and traditional medicine, yin and yang describe patterns of energy and balance in the body, nature, and society. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, disease is viewed as an imbalance between yin and yang, and treatment aims to restore harmony through diet, acupuncture, and lifestyle.

Today the concept remains a widely used metaphor and analytic tool, applied in arts, psychology, and organizational theory, while retaining roots in Chinese cosmology.