concept
Chinese
Yin and Yang
Complementary opposites that together make up a whole — dark and light, soft and hard, receptive and active.
Origin
A core idea of Taoism and classical Chinese cosmology. Yin (陰) is the shaded side of a hill; yang (陽) 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 — partners, co-founders, two opposing personality types. The symbol is one of the most globally recognized in design.
Tags
duality
balance