Yin And Yang

In colour theory, black is when all the colour in the wheel is absorbed but none gets reflected. Meanwhile, white is when all the colour is absorbed and reflected.

When I think about this contrasting colour, as a woman of Asian culture, I immediately think of Yin and Yang.

The circular symbol that is halved in two by a cursive line. In the black side, there is a small part that is white-coloured. Same for the white side, it also has a small portion that is black-coloured. 

The circular symbol where black and white complements each other. The circular symbol where the two opposites are interconnected, interdependent. The circular symbol that shows black and white give rise to one another, thus creating a balance.

And I believe that is what should happen in our community as well.

This story is simply an opinion from an Asian woman, who is simply saddened by what is currently happening in the world.

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So here is what I am currently doing: sitting in front of my computer screen, typing a presentation for my university project. I will share it with you but promise me one thing: no hard feeling, this is all just my opinion.

And obviously, some parts are from websites and journal articles. The university requires me to put references, after all.

Alright, let’s get to it, shall we?

The first slide. With the university logo on the top left corner, the screen is divided into two colour, black and white. The title shows up in the middle of it.

Yin Yang and Its Importance To Modern Community.

Along with my name, Felicia Lim, on the bottom of the slide, written in smaller font.

This is meant to be where I introduce myself to the audience. A quick slide, but necessary.

Let’s just move to the second slide. Continuing with the same black and white wallpaper, I present the most important background information: What Is Yin & Yang.

First of all, Yin and Yang is the concept of duality. Examples in real life would include morning and night, short and tall, easy and difficult, birth and death, and many more. 

Keep in mind, this is simply what I have heard from my grandmother.

Second bullet point, Yin and Yang is the concept of equilibrium. It is understood that Yin and Yang are essentially the same things but on the different side of the coin. They may appear very different, but cannot exist without one another. 

As quoted from a website that I just read two hours ago.

Let’s delve deeper into the topic, shall we? 

The third slide shows the actual meaning of Yin and Yang. Yin essentially means darkness and is often associated with femininity, night, passiveness, intuition, and coldness. Yang, on the other hand, means light and is associated with masculinity, day, activeness, logic, and heat.

Putting the opposite icons against each other on two separate sides of the screen, I would like to emphasis that Yin is a counterforce to Yang, and vice versa. Both repeat each other continuously, creating a cycle that maintains the balance of the world.

Clicking the button, I bring forth the fourth slide, the nature of Yin and Yang.

With a white background, the Yin and Yang symbol place itself in the centre of the screen. As I have told you previously, you can notice that there is a small white part in the middle of the black, and a small black part in the middle of the white.

This makes the first nature: neither the black nor the white is absolute. 

To illustrate, in every happiness, or Yin, there is a little suffering or Yang. Because with the suffering, we learn to appreciate the happiness even more. Another illustration is that in every sickness, Yang, we learn to be grateful for our health, Yin, instead of taking it for granted.

Additionally, the cursive line that separates the two colours is a symbol for another nature: neither of them stays static. 

Simply put, it shows that dominance may shift from one another, from time to time. In an ideal situation, it is perfectly balanced, like the Yin Yang symbol that we know. But when there is an excess dominance of one of the colours, the balance is disrupted.

At this point, you may ask me: how does this Yin Yang symbol relate to our lives, our community, then?

And the fifth slide will answer exactly that.

Change the outer circle of the symbol as our life. Change the black colour to be the mistakes and regret you made in your life. Change the white colour to the happy moments that you cherish.

Coexisting together, both the black and white makes who you are, doesn’t it?

Change the outer circle of the symbol as our planet. Change the black colour to those who damage the environment yet brings industrial revolution. Change the white colour to those who wish to care for the surroundings, not damaging the earth.

Chasing each other, both the black and white makes the time where we currently live, right?

Or take it literally. Change the outer circle of the symbol as our community. Change the black colour as those who have coloured skin. Change the white colour as those who claim to be “white” and fair-skinned.

Living alongside each other, both black and white should have balanced each other.

But is that what is happening today?

Are Yin and Yang there in the current community? 

I will leave you, the audiences, to answer that question.

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The sixth slide, the summary. The last slide that contains the content of my presentation. It is but another quick, but necessary slide.

Continuing with the same black and white background, I simply write two sentences and place it in the middle of the screen.

The moral of the story: we need to accept the opposite sides of anything to live in harmony.

The problem is: have we done that? Have YOU done that?

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The seventh slide is the references slide. I will not bore you with the various links that I used to come up with this content, so let’s skip that. 

The eighth, the last slide, is a simple thank you slide to wrap up my presentation, hoping that somebody can understand these slides that I wrote with all my might.

Clicking the save button, I upload the presentation to the university submission portal.

And I let out a prayer:

Oh, God, I hope I can get an A for this.