From the moment of conception, a child is either a yin or yang personality; and although yin is the female principle in the universe and yang the male principle, a male child can possess a yin personality, just as a female child can possess a yang personality.
Moreover, as children mature into adults, knowing which personality they are can help them apply the principles of feng shui to every aspect of their lives, including their homes and careers.
Yin and Yang Defined
In Chinese philosophy, yang is the active, positive, masculine force or principle in the universe, whereas yin is the passive, negative, feminine force or principle. Each force, however, is always both contrasted with and complimentary to the other force; and one cannot exist without the other. (Webster’s, 2002)
Yin, which is liquid and luminescent, is counterbalanced by yang, which is weighty and solid, but although they balance one another, being opposites, they are in a continual state of instability and tension. It is through this contradictory dynamic, however, that the two forces influence all aspects of human existence, including life and death. (Simons, 1996)
How to Determine Personality Type
According to Raphael Simons, author of Feng Shui Step by Step (1996), in order to determine someone’s personality type, imagine a line dividing his or her face through the exact middle, study the person’s features, and then apply the tenets below.
Features of the Yang Personality
A person with a yang personality will exhibit the following features:
- Features are concentrated toward the middle of the imaginary line
- Eyes are close together, deeply set, and narrow
- Eyebrows are slanted toward the bridge of the nose
- Nose is small, possibly flat
- Cheekbones are strong and pronounced
- Lower jaw is large and square
- Mouth is small with thin lips
- Lines in the face are more vertical than horizontal
Features of the Yin Personality
A person with a yin personality is apt to exhibit the following features:
- Features are concentrated away from the middle of the imaginary line
- Eyes are wide, far apart, and may even protrude
- Eyebrows slant away from the bridge of the nose
- Nose is long, large, or protruding
- Cheekbones are slight
- Lower jaw slanted upward toward the ears
- Mouth is large and lips full
- Lines in the face appear more horizontal than vertical
- There may be a cleft chin or cleft at the tip of the nose
- There may be spaces between front teeth
Note: Most people possess some features of both personality types, but the main consideration is a person’s eyes. If they are close or deeply set, the person is yang; if they are far apart or bulge, the person is yin.
Qualities of the Two Personality Types
Yin personalities are right-brain dominant and, therefore, usually intuitive; have little sense of time; enjoy music, clutter, and creative pastimes; make decisions based on hunches and emotions; and use holistic thinking. Yang personalities, on the other hand, are left-brain dominant and usually logical, serious, knowledgeable, linear in thinking, structured, organized, and rational.
Personality Type and Occupation
Yin occupations are more mental than physical and include such occupations as writer, researcher, teacher, fashion designer, artist, librarian, bookkeeper, administrator, etc. Yang occupations are more physical than mental and include such occupations as police officer, engineer, traveling salesperson, professional athlete, soldier, actor, musician, etc. On the other hand, it is entirely possible for someone who possesses a yin personality to succeed at a yang occupation and vice versa.
In summary, although some people are skeptical when it comes to the teachings of feng shui, these teachings date back over 3,000 years; and according to the principles of this ancient Chinese philosophy, knowing whether they are yin or yang is important if people wish to reap health, happiness, and prosperity in every area of their lives, including home and career.
Sources:
- Simon, T. R. (1996) Feng Shui Step by Step; New York: Crown Trade Paperbacks.
- Webster’s New World Dictionary of the American Language (2002) New York: Simon and Schuster.
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