This thread was inspired by the comical, and yet relatively truthful words of Blink on the Osho and Reincarnation thread. She wrote, below:
Quote:Don't be mad, Bets. If this is the worst they can do, well blow me down with a feather!
You know, boys will be boys...
First, please understand that when i speak of Yin-Yang, Feminine-Masculine, and how these pertain to Women and Men, i'm speaking in a general sense, much like how astrologers speak about certain Signs and Planets and how they relate to character traits and tendencies in humans.
Not every women is polarized and imbalanced to the Yin expression, and vice versa, not every man is polarized and imbalanced to the Yang expression.
What could be said to be very generally true, is that its quite rare for a person to always be consistently balanced and thus merged between the two. Most of us are imbalanced and polarized to varying degrees, and this balance is oft an ever shifting one when it comes to individuals, whether they using a female or male body.
Always keep in mind that its in the balance and merging wherein you find the true strength.
To more specifically address Blink's comments, there is some truth to them. Yang energy is by its very nature, more Fiery and/or firm. There are more men who are more generally polarized to the Yang within self. Again, to varying degrees, it also changes within them, and not all men are predominantly polarized to the Yang.
Yin energy is by its very nature, more Gentle, passive, and receptive. Wheras Yang in and of itself, could be said to be LOUD, Yin could said to be
quiet
. Ideally, these merge and we get a happy medium and/or the ability to positively change and adapt according to the conditions and situations at hand.
Again, there are very, very few who have perfected this process. Bob Monroe met one of these "one in a million types", in the some 1800 year old person he temporarily labeled "He/She". Part of the reason of why Bob referred to and thought of this person as "He/She" was because their radiation was so perfectly balanced between what he perceived as masculine and feminine expressions.
When we are imbalanced ourselves, particularly to what i call our general, predominant balance, a few things tend to happen. We tend to "like" the expression we ourselves are more so balanced too, and yet have a strong attraction (sometimes overwhelming pull) to the so called "opposite" one, and/or we project onto those who are polarized to the other expression in the general and predominant sense.
You see this between men and women all the time, and that is because our bodies being more "set", and more men being more averagely polarized to the Yang, and the converse with women and Yin, you get a lot of push (Yang) and pull (Yin). Meanwhile, the less balanced men thinking themselves and their ways as more superior, and the less balanced women thinking themselves and their ways as more superior.
If the latter is the case, then both sides will tend to "build up" their side, at the detriment and denigration of the other expression.
I always try to keep in my mind and heart that the real issue is more with imbalance than anything, and that both have their strengths and weaknesses, but neither expression is truly strong when it is overly imbalanced and polarized.
Those who are over polarized to the Yin, and thus who tend to be more gentle, quiet, passive, and/or receptive within self, tend to look down upon and project upon those more polarized to the Yang, and to Yang energy itself! And conversely the same!
Funny how that works, isn't it? Yet there are times and occasions where a more Yang, a more Fiery and/or firm expression is required. If a particular country run almost totally by a mad peoples gone insanse with entrenchment in false self tendencies, tried to take over the rest of the world, well another powerful but more balanced and healthy country could do one of two things.
They could be active (Yang) and say "no way Jose", or they could be passive (Yin) and say "nah, too much effort to stop and in any case, que sara sara.." Yet, in this particular case, the more Yang expression (yet ideally with some Yin balance contributing) would be the more constructive route. Tis better to stand up and fight, then to let this one country turn the world into its slave. To be Fire and active Earth.
In other cases, it is more constructive to take a more Yin approach, to be more like Water or Air, to be more yielding, flowing, and gentle.
All the above are basic, simple, universal concepts, but when it comes to applying it the behaviors, the unconscious and conscious reactions and tendencies, to self and those we come into contact with, oft do many begin to lose sight of both the similarities and differences betweens these in a clear manner.
We start to project, to disown, to repress, suppress, and/or belittle. Or we seek out the idealized and pure expression of the opposite polarity that we lack enough balance in, we put it on a unrealistic pedestal (i use to do that with women in general, especially in the romantic sense). Or we start to refuse to see that there is truth and worth in the expression in which we are not generally polarized too. I see this all the time everywhere i go. Whether on groups and forums such as this, between men and women in general, individual relationships, my own marriage, doesn't matter. These issues of imbalance and projection are so universal and common amongst us humans and our behavior.
By its very nature and meaning though, Yin tends to be more "unconscious" and sublte in nature and tendency. And so applying this generally, and to men and women, this is why men tend to get into overt fights (arguments or fist o cuffs) when off center, wheras women become the master manipulators, insinuators, and gossipers. I know having once worked with an all women work force and being the only guy-- my illusions of the purity, kindess, acceptance, and forgiving nature of women were quickly shattered by the constant back biting, subtle emotional domination and manipulation, and pettiness that when on there. Honest directness was sorely needed in that environment.
If you had brought up any of this, out into the conscious light, it would be automatically denied, "not me, i'm a kind, loving, gentle women who never tries to harm anyone (and they rarely do in an overt, obvious, or physical kind of way)"
Men or rather Yang energy when being used and expressed negatively, can be as self deluded of course, but because of its innate tendencies to directness, simplicity, and less emotional centeredness, it is more apt to recognize when it erred. After all, the negative actions on part of men tend to be much more blatant and in your face, thus harder to deny. If i end up hitting a person in the face out of anger, well after i cool down and regain my center, chances are i will see what i did and that it was a negative way of dealing with things.
This of course, is all over simplified and generalized, but to get a more holistic understanding, you need to approach it from both that space and in the individual perspective at the same time to really get the entire picture in focus.
Point being, is that both sides have something of worth to offer each other, both sides have their negative expression, and both sides tend to project or belittle when they are overly polarized. Both sides are part of but different possible expressions of a Greater Whole I may in another post, relate this Yin-Yang balance issue to the man Yeshua, who seemed to have it perfectly balanced within self, could and did act from both at different times. according to the need.