The Continuum of Change: Integrating Polarity and Binary
Complexity and Dao Series #9
The wisdom of Yin/Yang in Daoist philosophy teaches us that both light and shadow are natural states of life. They are inseparable from each other, with each capable of transforming into the other as contexts shift. As a Daoist saying goes, “At the end of Yin is Yang, and at the end of Yang is Yin.” In my own words, Yin and Yang both lead to the same house, with one as the front door and the other as the back door. The dynamic interaction between Yin and Yang produces the process of change.
Understanding Polarity and Binary Thinking
In my interactions with Western audiences, I often encounter confusion between Yin/Yang thinking, which aligns with polarity thinking, and binary thinking, which is hallmark of mechanistic ways of sense making. It is crucial to distinguish between these two perspectives.
Binary thinking typically starts with a value judgment: light is good, and shadow is bad. This judgment fragments the organic whole, and resistance to shadow, deemed as bad, keeps this fragmentation stuck. In this stuckness, Yin and Yang are deprived of opportunities to interact, causing the change process to stagnate. Binary thinking keeps the two options apart, like two ends of a stick that do not…
