Yin and Yang
Complementary opposites that together make up a whole โ dark and light, soft and hard, receptive and active.
Origin
A core idea of Taoism and classical Chinese cosmology. Yin (้ฐ) is the shaded side of a hill; yang (้ฝ) the sunlit side. The familiar black-and-white tai chi symbol, with each side containing a dot of the other, expresses the idea that the two are not opposites but interpenetrating phases of one process.
Modern usage
Casually used to describe any complementary pairing โ partners, co-founders, two opposing personality types. The symbol is one of the most globally recognized in design.
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Eastern Traditions
The Tao
The fundamental, ungraspable principle underlying the universe โ and the way of living in accord with it.
Eastern Traditions
Zen
A school of Buddhism emphasizing meditation โ and, casually, anything calm and unflappable.
Eastern Traditions
Karma
The principle that your actions return to you โ for better or worse.