Taoism says we need a healthy balance of Yin and Yang to lead healthy lives but our American lifestyle seems to overload us with too much Yang. How consumed by yang are you in your life? Are Americans so addicted to Yang that we are beyond repair? Is Wu-Wei valued enough to be practiced by Americans?
Personally, I think that it will be almost impossible for anyone to answer "no" to this question. OF COURSE WE ARE CONSUMED BY YANG! Our society worships people with wealth and powerful positions in brand name companies but there was probably an extreme cost for them to get there. For instance, the example that was used in class today. A business man stays at work late, night after night thinking that bringing in more money will help his family. Meanwhile, his wife and kids are sitting at home and are basically living life without him. The family will never be able to develop a healthy relationship and the marriage might even end in divorce! Our whole society is based on our need to compete and keep moving forward in technology. I highly doubt that anyone spends even an hour a day, let alone an hour a week, to sit outside and appreciate all the beauty that nature offers us. I think if we all put our blackberry's, x box controllers, and Ipods down, and just spent some time outside every once in a while, we might realize what we were missing. I think our society is way to stressed out; especially with the state of our economy. People at work now feel the need to compete even more in fear of losing their jobs. All of this extra work takes away from time that you could be spending with your family or even just sitting back and relaxing while listening to the rain fall like i plan on doing today.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with Mike. Our entire society is in this trance that the people with the money rule the world. This is a lie it is a beattitude "blessed are the meek for they will inherit the world" this means that even though you are poor and helpless now in Heaven you will be greatly rewarded. This can apply to Taoism as well. In Taoism the meek are those that who are intouch with more yin than yang. The people of the world today are overwhelmed with the yang portion that we often forget that there even is a yin to look foward to. Wu-Wei can stop this. It can turn the technology couch potatoes who live with thier mother's into the relaxed, kind of chill person they need to be to become truly successful. The art of meditation is something I personally do every summer. I go to Vermont and just walk around the woods for HOURS with a bottle of water and a pair of sunglasses. It really is the greatest feeling ever. The feeling of just letting your mortal self go and truly becoming one with nature(minus the bugs... eeewwww).I personally recomend everyone to go somewhere quiet and away from all technology and just think, think about family or whatever puts you at peace. For me that would be running. Running is my other form of medditation it gets your mind wandering. When your running all you can do is concentrate on what task is at hand because if you don't you will most likely get hurt. So yes our world is full of darkness, negativity, and agression, because nobody knows how to let them-selves go.
ReplyDeleteI do think Americans are too much consumed by Yang in their daily lives. We live in the 21st century which is mostly all about technology giving us little time to ponder on the real meaning of life and the genuineness of things, also called Yin. Americans become easily stressed, because we completely forget about Yin and are too concerned with the material world. Today, people are constantly checking their phones and computers that we never take the time to step back and look at the bigger picture about our lives. To balance out Yang with Yin, I think we need to just take a step back from our crazy schedules and take a deep breathe. I usually do this by coming home from school and starting apart a time to nap and disconnect from the digital world in which most of our society is consumed by and is over indulged with Yang, instead of having a balance of both Yin and Yang.
ReplyDeleteHmm... Ok, let me start off by saying that i personally agree with what Mike and Caitlin said about how maybe taking a little break from reality might make us feel better. However, I don't think it's possible for about 99% of the population (that's a hyperbolic statement :D). Ok guys, think about it, it simply IS NOT possible in a Capitalist nation like America! Free market, competition, and profit motive are all stones that Capitalism was founded on. These are all specific traits of Yang.
ReplyDeleteThe concept of Yin and Yang is essential to the understanding of Taoism. The concept that neither Yin nor Yang can exist without the other. However, our homeland, America, is indirectly corrupting us through the constant competition between people. This corruption spreads like disease, and quite frankly, America is experiencing and epidemic of Yang overload.
The American children are always told to "do your best" and "do good in school" and when the child asks "for what?" the parent simply answers "so you can have a good life." Children are taught to be fierce competitors in today's modern world by their own parents. In the eyes of a Taoist this behavior is only acceptable with a balance of Yin (Yang is to Yin as Light is to Dark; one cannot exist without the other). However modern society doesn't allow us to take a break; people fear that taking a break from the constant stress of their job will cause them to fall behind in their work and they'll dig themselves even deeper into Yang.
So you see, Capitalism is the main cause of all our stress. To be honest, children (and teenagers to some extent) are the only members of our American society that are able to connect with Yin, since they aren't committed to a job, and are allowed spare time to do whatever they please with (after they finish schoolwork, of course).
Also, since our society is so bent on suppressing Yin and advocating Yang, most members of our society haven't even experienced Yin at all! And even if they have, many of them aren't able to appreciate Yin because they're too occupied with the stress Yang injects into their lives.
Many people believe that simply "putting down" the blackberries, or ipods, or xbox controller is enough to prevent Yang overload; but as i said before, people are fearful of falling behind and feel that taking such a bold risk is unnecessary.(sorry, but I'm calling you out Mike :P)
Is there any escape from this cycle of Yang? Sadly... no.
phew that took a lot of energy... Yang +10 points... Oh well :P
Our society is entirely consumed by yang! I agree with mike, in our society the richer and more powerful are idolized. I know i am consumed in yang. I'm always on my phone, communiticating with people or stressing out about something. I very rarely have time to relax and feel at peace. I do think we are too addicted to yang to repair ourselves. People would go crazy without their cell phones or without their computers. We always need to be communicating with people and we are always stressed out. Mike made a good point by saying our economy stresses us out even more. People loosing their jobs and so competion is greater. You always have to feel like you have to step up your game and be the best. I think we should practice wu-wei. We should all be in harmony with nature and feel at peace once in awhile. Maybe if we practiced wu-wei our society wouldn't be so uptight and stressed all the time.
ReplyDeleteNice entry Steven! :D Miss Curran would apperciate that!(so would Holden!)
ReplyDeleteClearly, my life as well as that of everyone else is consumed by an excessive amount of Yang. I also feel that Yang dominates everyone's life, not only those who live in capitalistic nations such as the US. Anyone who is somewhat educated in unnecessary information or certain human-made institutions is already primarily consumed in Yang. This is because these things can not be considered "natural" and are only used as a certain method for solving human issues. For example, mathematics is a human-made system used in order to calculate, identify, and explain other things, which have ALSO been identified and explained thoroughly by humans. Nearly EVERYTHING we do is Yang-related and there is no halt involved whatsoever, nor can there be halts once you are trapped in the cycle.
ReplyDeleteHowever even a country such as ours has the potential to maintain a healthy amount of Yin whilst ambitiously treading through Yang. This, of course, doesn't mean America as a whole as Steven said. It is generally impossible to turn the establishments of the US around and say "Lets try this again, this time with more Yin." It takes an action (or non-action, technically) from each person in order to maintain any forms of energy regardless of whether it's Yin or Yang. Balancing levels of Yin and Yang is an individualistic thing and the situation can be entirely different for each person. If each person can manage to simply take a deep breath and analyze their life on a conceptual point of view, our Yin would come to a reasonably "high" level considering our world today.
It takes no energy or effort to muse on our lives every once in a while and take into consideration the concept of wu wei. So I think Americans can all grasp wu wei with ease if we just allow ourselves do so. Act only when an action is necessary is basic advice that can greatly assist us in today's world. So basically, we can't reach healthy Yin as easily as we can reach excessive Yang in today's world, so we need to maintain a peaceful(or at least progressive) lifestyle by just reflecting on our lives to be able to point out areas where we PERSONALLY need to repair and improve on. A simple remedy is just to stop looking so defiantly towards American institutions and big man-made establishments and instead take a look at yourself personally, for this is the only source of spirit which can either drive you forward (if considered) or shove you down (if disregarded).
lol thx Caitlin! glad somebody noticed xD
ReplyDeleteand yeah, i agree with you when you say in your entry "noone knows how to let themselves go"
tis true... tis true.
Awww, i just realized I didn't answer the part of the question that dealt with Wu-Wei..
ReplyDeleteWell in my opinion Wu-Wei would not work in our society at all. Wu-Wei is a concept that deals with the conscious and subconscious part of our minds. The phrase used to describe this (in Taoism) is to act without acting (acting without consciously thinking about it) i.e breathing. I don't think this Wu-Wei mindset of effortless actions would apply to our modern society at all. Wu-Wei emphasizes doing "what feels natural" but in this day and age "natural" is reaching for our cell phones or ipods.
yeah... this was a pitiful attempt to answer that part of the question. But hey, I have enough Yang as it is!
Steven, I think I just lost the competition from reading your post.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I agree with every single poster above me right now, even the ones that haven't posted yet.
The symbol for Yin Yang is a circle usually with one half of the circle colored black, and the other left white. The meaning behind that symbol is:
"The outer circle represents "everything", while the black and white shapes within the circle represent the interaction of two energies, called "yin" (black) and "yang" (white), which cause everything to happen. They are not completely black or white, just as things in life are not completely black or white, and they cannot exist without each other."
So yeah, I am ashamed to say that Yang is in my life, and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a huge part of my life. I absolutely hate it. I honestly do try my efforts to cut down on technology, sometimes I'll throw my phone in the garbage because I don't want people texting me. I am fortunate enough to have a lake near me, it's about a 10 minute walk and I usually go there when it's a really nice day. Like everyone said, nobody can reach true Yin.
I think Americans are addicted to Yang and not enough Yin; this place is corrupt beyond repair. "Technology" should just be renamed to "stress" because that is, I think, the number one cause of it. Everyone knows how nasty someone can get under stress, we, as people, make unhealthy decisions when we are stressed/angry. We become "blind" and usually never see things clear, and break down. I don't know about any of you guys, but whenever I am stressed, and I need to do work, while people are talking to me, I get extremely angry, and not at the people who are talking to me, but at myself. Maybe it is a problem people have, I know I have to do work, but yet I constantly check my phone, or Facebook, or anything that has to deal with "communiticating" (as Victoria said) with other people. I know it is a bad thing to do, and I get even more stressed because of it.
Wu-Wei is not valued enough by Americans to be practiced. Wu-Wei is sometimes translated as “non-doing” or “non-action.”
"A better way to think of it, however, is as a paradoxical “Action of non-action.”
It has a "go-with-the-flow" feel to it, and I know that some people have that mind set, but I don't think EVERYONE has that. I, personally, don't know. Never thought about it, I think I'll do it now...sometimes.
It's hard to say because I think Americans have such a schedule to them, that fits them, which kind of corrupts them in a way. It's like they are walking in a rut they can't get out of.
With that being said, I don't think we find enough time to actually breath. The only thing that Americans breath is, corporate lawsuits, briefcases full of texts that don't amount to anything, and money.
Americans, will never encounter the full balance of Yin Yang, as the Taoists(?) do, and I don't think anyone can change it. We are too deep into a mindset that we can't break out of, who wants to break a routine that has been working so well? Technology and the stress will never amount to nature, and it's beauty.
I want to say more, but Yang has gotten the best of me.
.02
I agree with Mike and Steven. Our whole society is fully corrupted with Yang! But I also agree with Steven about the point how we can never fully reach Yin in our lives. Even going on vacation can somewhat be stressful (ofcourse, depending on where you are going) - you have to make sure you're on time for an airplane flight, then you have to find your destination and make sure not to get lost, then make sure you're not spending too much money, and make sure everything is in place. Then when you finally arrive back home, reality hits all over again, and then we're setting up our lives again.
ReplyDelete"Life is not easy" is a very common quote here in America. We're constantly worrying about the past, present, and future. I don't believe yin and yang will ever be balanced because we are always set with responsibilities in order to keep our society going. Not saying that responsibilities necessarily stress us out, but too many people have TOO many tasks to accomplish in a day, and as a result they burn out.
Oh, double posting, but I wanted to say that Americans REALLY should take the time to stop what ever they are doing and just, listen. It sounds stupid and retarded in context but honestly, people need to start doing this.
ReplyDeleteIn the words of Thomas Matthew DeLonge Jr.
"I have a sense that we will be alright
I wish for peace with electric silence
To keep our hearts beating on our minds
And we will see that we're all connected
When we awake to the tunnel's light"
I'm just saying, there is no need to be stressed, no need for over-excessive Yang.
Almost everyone has to agree that we are all preoccupied with too much Yang. According to Taoism, applying both Yin and Yang into our lives will lead us into a happier, healthier, and serene state of mind. Mostly everyone’s lifestyle, not just Americans, is revolved around Yang because we are constantly bombarded with work. I admit I personally DO NOT get enough sleep to help me focus the next day. That time when I was working on our Buddhism project, I only had ONE of hour of sleep because I was so determined to finish it.
ReplyDeleteStudies have shown that most students do not get the daily amount of sleep they need every day. This is because they are overloaded with so much work and are obligated to finish it. If they do not complete their work, they will fail the course and face consequences. In class, we discussed how numerous drugs were created to balance one’s Yin and Yang. For example, caffeine, sleeping pills, stress-relief pills, and other sorts of drugs can be used to relieve stress. The purpose for these drugs is to help us relax, restoring a healthy balance of Yin and Yang.
People nowadays are so preoccupied and “addicted” with Yang and are in need of rehabilitation. To prevent further emotional breakdowns, one should try to connect with Wu-Wei, or “non-action”. Wu-Wei is a method of meditation that helps one escape reality and enter a world of temporary relief. Most people do not practice Wu-Wei but should, at least once in a while. Escaping into a state of temporary relief can help one concentrate better and release the stress in their lives. Nowadays, I think people should stop between work and take a break… a really long, serious break.
We are consumed by yang
ReplyDeleteOur society worships people with power, wealth and people with influence even if the influence isn't a positive one.Society has always been this way and i do not think we are anywhere close to changing it. Even great people in history would be considered consumed by yang. For example a Plato was a very influential man back in Greece, he was a philosopher and even he said "The Measure of a man is what he does with power", that is basically our concept of successful people in our society. We are only focused on money and power that is why there is so much tension and anger between people because people are always in a competition who is or has the best. Even if we didn't change our society that much it would be a start towards wu wei if we started working together on things instead of competing all the time.
In American life, nearly everyone is dominated by yang in their lives. With so many things happening in the world at the same time, people find the need for resting and slowing down almost impossible. American life is basically a timer everyday. Everyone needs to get from A to B in the shortest possible time and the road to becoming successful leads to competition between others which then leads to a more rushed society. Americans are too accustomed to yang that trying a change of pace to a slow more relaxed one might be hard. Wu-Wei can be a solution but like I said, people have become so accustomed to the fast life that a change a pace might be tough.
ReplyDeleteI can say I’m consumed a lot by Yang because like most teenagers we are active and never take time for ourselves. I’ve tried disconnecting myself from internet and my phone for more than a few hours but have just gotten way too dependent on it therefore I really have no time by myself with my own thoughts. I think American society in general is too addicted to yang and doesn’t focus enough on Yin which helps us de-stress ourselves. Wu Wei seems more like going with the flow, which is what I tend to do and a lot of Americans too. The problem with Wu Wei for most Americans is that they’re already too stressed out to begin with and telling someone who is stressing out to calm down and just go with the flow will make them even more stressed, which doesn’t help at all. It might be too late for Wu Wei to work for most Americans; but this whole concept of Yin and Yang is perfect for Americans because we tend to get stressed about anything and we need a healthy balance, which is where this whole Yin and Yang concept comes into play.
ReplyDeleteYang. Yang. Yang. Yang. Thats all that flows around us. Even now, as I write this, I am being overflown with Yang. It constantly overides all Americans. Stress and pressure pile up on our shoulders. Everyone struggles with trying to do better then the other and living up to all the expectations. Will there ever be a time where we can find a way to balance out our Yang? Probability says no. But, is this necesarily a bad thing? I could possibly not be. If we are filled with so much excess Yang, why not use that Yang to our advantage? Use it to better yourself and turn yourself into a more hardworking person to meet these expectations and demands. Find a way to use this Yang and find a way to make life easier for us and those to come. Also, who says we can't have our yin with our yang? They say Yin is taking a moment to put yourself in nature. But isn't technology part of nature? Everything we have comes from everything else. Ashes to ashes right? There can be beauty in industry, all we have to do is find it. Nature is always a part of us everywhere.
ReplyDeleteBut all this, it is all determined by how we receive it ourselves. We can find our peace is determined by our own actions. So as an example, I'll seperate from Yang by only writing this much on the blog and going to take a nap in Yin. xD
It is blatantly obvious that our entire society is consumed by an over abundance of yang. I know that my life as well as basically everyone's life in our society is overwhelmed by the presence of yang. Yang can be represented through pills, energy drinks, caffeine, and amongst other things . Unfortunately, I believe its impossible for us to turn into a state of yin. We basically dug ourselves into too far of a hole to be able to climb out within a matter of seconds. I don't think that Americans will be able to practice Wu-Wei. We live in too fast paced of a society to flip the switch and instantaneously slow down.
ReplyDeleteSorry that i answered the blog at this time Mr Bauer, i lost internet connecting last night. But I believe that our society today is most defiantly consumed in to much yang. I mean we wake up, go to school and work hyped up on caffeine, then we come home get fast food and eat unhealthy, get fat, stress about that, then we go on the internet all night and don't do our homework and then stress about that in the morning. I so no think that we could ever balance out the yin and the yang in our society, it is just not built this way. I just believe that everyone just needs to chill every once and a while and not worry about everything. We all need free vacations to the Bahamas or something. :)
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