Tuesday, August 12, 2014

"Yin, Yang, and the Art of Yielding"

I don't find it surprising at all that the nature of men and women is the same in all cultures: men create, protect and provide, and women are yielding and nurturing. At least when they're at their best. When each does not follow its nature, serious problems ensue.

When men solve problems they do it by often getting in a group because, after all, two heads are better than one. There is a give-and-take. That "yielding" of one listening to another, and being receptive to his ideas, is supposedly a "feminine" trait. Yet no problem would get solved without it.

At their worst, men can be antagonistic, yet it tends to blow over. Women in groups, trying to imitate men...it doesn't work. My experience has been they talk, maybe drink coffee, and either get nothing done, or when it gets done, usually doesn't work very well at all. And they very much tend to not listen to good advice.


This is from the site Rewire Me and was written by Mary Traina.

"For some people, the words yielding and surrender might evoke romance novels—lovers swept away by passion, tearing each other’s clothes off, transported to an idyll of true-love-forever. Or yielding and surrender can raise the specter of submissive women who are ceaselessly compliant, handmaidens in the backgrounds of men’s lives.

"I define yielding as flexibility with grace. And for couples, yielding is an art form that can enhance a relationship. All it takes is a bit of yin and yang.But there’s another perspective. Surrendering to a partner, yielding to his or her needs and desires, is an opportunity to give love, in large and small ways. I define yielding as flexibility with grace. And for couples, yielding is an art form that can enhance a relationship. All it takes is a bit of yin and yang.

"ccording to Chinese philosophy, there is a natural order in the universe that works like a beautiful piece of harmonious music—yin and yang. We all have it. And in our interactions with the world, we use both energies.

Yin is feminine energy: soft, dark, cool, hidden, subtle, and complex. Yin is much more fluid, more nurturing, than yang. Yin’s strength is to preserve life, to keep major support systems in line. Yin knows when to stop, to yield.

"ang is masculine energy: strength, action, and relentless assertiveness. It is a protective energy. Surrender is not an option. The power of yang is that it can lock onto a goal and be undistractible. And, of course, that’s its greatest weakness. Although male energy may seem like a powerful force, it is also fragile. Men spend a lot of energy being male: trying to protect, provide for, and please their families. For men, yielding can feel as if they’re not doing their job.

"Although women are more yin and men are more yang, nobody could survive without both energies.This energetic interplay of yin and yang is always present in relationships, none of which stay perfectly balanced for long. Like anything else that is a work in progress, the mini-dynamics of a relationship—who is cranky, feeling unheard, going through a work crisis; who has more energy…or less—can change on a daily basis.

"Although women are more yin and men are more yang, nobody could survive without both energies. One of the strongest characteristics of yin is its receptivity. When someone listens, really listens to you, that person is being yin. He or she is literally receiving your words, your import; yielding to you, allowing you to speak and be heard.

"Yielding is as much a part of survival as standing firm. There will be many times in a relationship when this means that you rise above your own mind-state and remain generous and loving to your partner. You drop any facade of yang, you get quiet, and you listen for cues. Your partner will notice and begin to feel some measure of ease or relief—your yin.

"When yielding is mutual, it is the balm that eases the friction of whatever unhappy situation we find ourselves in. Everyone has heard the statement, 'This has brought us closer together.' It is because each person leaned toward and yielded to the other’s needs. They both feel loved, cared about, and supported. This is a perfect interplay of yin and yang. Each partner is using yang energy to protect and yin to nurture.

"Surrendering, yielding to your partner, is a gift, given and accepted with the knowledge that it has come from the heart of someone who cares deeply about you.Yielding can also be a great way to end arguments. A smile and a 'You know what? You’re right,' given graciously, can completely defuse a relationship hot spot. It’s like bringing delicious sandwiches to a knife fight. Of course, you’ll want to pick the battles you end this way. You will have to do some soul searching and determine whether you are only trying to win—never a good thing by itself in a relationship—or whether the issue really matters to you. Often, if we are completely honest, there are things we don’t care that much about. Yielding to your partner’s needs or wants wouldn’t take as much as it would give. Being yin, giving in, instead of putting up a yang front, is immeasurably better for both of you.

"And yielding is never as immediate and direct as it is in the context of touch. The interplay of yin and yang—yin receptive, gentle, loving; and yang overarching, insistent, hungry—in each partner melds into a complex and lovely dance of give and receive.

"Surrendering, yielding to your partner, is a gift, given and accepted with the knowledge that it has come from the heart of someone who cares deeply about you."

1 comment:

Glen Filthie said...

Oh man - don't get me started. Remember the feminists back in the 70's Bob? Remember how they proclaimed that women were superior leaders because they ruled by consensus?
They were right about that, you know. They DO rule by consensus. I've seen it: a team of them will go into the boardroom to hash out a problem at 8:00 am. They will sit in there and bicker, gossip and haggle...and if you're lucky they will have made a decision by lunch time. Usually it will take part of the next day.
By contrast, us eeeeeevil white men run our 'teams' (pause for the ladies to hork and spit with contempt) - like pirate ships. Supposedly our business plans run only on ego and at the whims of the meanest, most devious man that controls the team.
My take on it is that us guys are louder and more adversarial when we disagree - but our arguments are much easier to resolve and manage.
I would love to see a study done that correlates the number of jobs 'offshored' compared to the number of companies that employ women in the management. I would be willing to bet there is a strong relationship there...