The Ying and Yang In American Culture

I found the reading in “Change and Tradition” about the Ying and Yang and what the meaning and significance of the Ying and Yang in the Chinese culture were quite interesting. I knew what the Ying and Yang were prior to reading this section, but I found it interesting to find out what their deeper meaning. When I thought about the Ying and Yang previously, I just thought of opposites. I knew that there is a white and black side representing two opposites that complete one another, but I never knew that there was a much deeper meaning. Learning that the Ying and Yang have true meanings as “receptive” and “active,” as well as learning that they both have different weather types attributed to them was interesting. I feel like as an American culture, we tend to water down things that we get from other cultures. I feel as if the American culture likes to take bits and pieces from cultures all around the world, and we tend not to get the real, deep meaning of things, just like the Ying and Yang. I wonder how many other things from the Chinese culture that I will learn the deeper meaning of, instead of just the meaning that I have picked up in American Culture. I hope that throughout the semester, I will find out the deeper meanings of things or ideas from the Chinese culture that I already had some knowledge on, but could expand upon.