A World With Too Much Yang

You probably all know what the Yin Yang symbol is.

That’s the one. That’s for those of you who think that my blog has too many words in it and not enough pictures. Anyway, as most of you know, the Yin Yang symbolizes harmony, balance… you know, Zen junk. What you might not have known is that Yin and Yang actually represent stuff on their own. Yin is the female side, and represents traditional feminine attributes: compassion, compromise, maternalism. Yang, the male side: assertiveness, strength, exertion. They represent other things too, like day and night, hot and cold, heaven and earth; basically things nobody cares about, and should care even less about for this article.

Based on the title, you can probably already assume what I’m driving at here. We live in a world dominated by male culture, and male attributes. This isn’t even just having far too many penises making critical worldly decisions, but further than that, the attributes we look for in leaders are typically from the Yang side. We want stoic leaders, uncompromising, shrewd and strong. Not just in our politics, but in our businesses, faculties, and other places with an emphasis on hierarchy. Even if we don’t want men to lead us, we want their attributes.

The problem with the domination of one side of the balance over the other is that its attributes become corrupted. Strength becomes power-mongering, uncompromising becomes unfeeling, and we are left with greedy, aggressive sons of bitches ruling our planet.

Think of all the shitty things that happen in life outside of like, disease or natural disasters. How many of them are what happens when a male attribute is taken to its extreme? Think of the dictators, the greedy corporate heads and bankers, the corrupt politicians, the criminals and gangs. How many Yin characteristics do you think they possess? How many Yang?

Jackson Katz is a doctor, so you know you can trust him, and he discusses the prevalence of male attributes, how we as men are socially pressured into conforming to those attributes, and the harm they cause in their extremes in a neat little video called Tough Guise. Unfortunately this video is is no longer available for free in its entirety, but here’s a short synopsis which you should definitely watch if you have seven minutes to spare:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3exzMPT4nGI

Popular contemporary feminism is even pushing women into these roles as well. Women need to be strong, assertive, and powerful. Women need to be CEOs, doctors, and politicians. In the media today, women are constantly being portrayed as basically brutish men. It’s “progress” because now women are drinking, swearing, and fighting alongside their male counterparts. How many times have you seen a female character in a movie chastise another female character by saying, “Don’t be such a girl!” The idea is still that the Yin characteristics are weak and unnecessary, and that if a woman wants to be successful, she needs to embrace the Yang.

But in a world where the Yang is running rampant and corrupt, do we really need more people actively pursuing dominant roles? Nurses, teachers, caregivers, the Yin-oriented careers are still being left behind. Being a nurse has nowhere near the amount of recognition and acclaim as a doctor, despite being just as important to the recovery of the patient. Teachers struggle for respect because “they only work 8 months of the year,” despite not just the actual amount of hours teachers put in per year, but also the incredible amount of influence they exert on the character and intellect of our children. We don’t need a world dominated by men and men-like women; we need to foster the Yin if we want to be somewhat successful in unfucking up this planet.

I’m not saying that male attributes and men are terrible, nor am I saying that women shouldn’t pursue typically male-oriented careers. Just that we need a balance with our feminine characteristics. It’s Yin Yang; harmony between the two. Emphasis on the female side would leave us simpering wrecks, but as a culture we are already shooting way too far in the other direction. We’ve had decades of women in pantsuits. How about some men in aprons?