Living in Korea as a Westerner, I believe it’s important for us to understand the psychology behind the Korean people. Korean culture is based on the theory of yin/yang and the five forces. Oriental medicine diagnoses and treats according to it, and not one aspect of life is unaffected by it. As there are few books in English on it, I’ll summarize the points briefly here. In fact, the theory is not as difficult to understand as to apply.

Firstly, all began from nothingness, the circle, which once divided, became the two, yin and yang. In contrast to other nations, Korea’s yin/yang symbol is made up of three parts: red, blue and yellow. Yellow symbolizes harmony, unity, the middle, which must exist if yin and yang are to be expressed. Thus, man and woman need a child; heaven and earth need mankind, and suffering and pain come without knowledge of harmony. Yin and yang divide into the four forces (great yin, small yin; great yang, small yang), and the fifth force is that of balance and harmony, known as soil energy. We now have the five forces: tree, fire, metal, water, and soil, which serve as an expression of yin and yang.

Tree means spring, the color blue, the neck and hip joints, the liver, anger, an elongated and narrow face, easygoingness, warmth, the scholar and the planner. It represents barley, sour foods, and a passion for acknowledgement. The force represents a sharp, rising power so this person is a fast beginner but lacks decisive conclusion.

Fire means summer, the color red, heat, the face, tongue and shoulders, the heart and cheerfulness. The face is shaped like an upside down triangle and this person suffers from temporary explosive anger like a flame and from overall beautiful behavior and courage. Fire types hate to be restricted and can easily be found in fields such as television and sports. The force represents a burning, passionate fire but one that can burn out quickly. Bitter foods, coffee, and Korean susu (Indian millet) are good for this summer force.

Soil means late summer, humidity, the color yellow, the knees and stomach. Soil character is exact, firm and faithful with a rounded body. When unhealthy this person tends to lie, boast and lie down often. Millet, pumpkin and naturally sweet foods empower the stomach. If you have a stomach problem, place a teaspoon or so of brown sugar in a cup of hot water a couple times a day, or eat a bowl of millet and pumpkin. The force represents a condensing, unifying and hardening quality. Usually, this person will have a stiff body. This person is the gregarious, harmonious type who can bring all types together.

Metal means the fall, dryness, the color white, the wrists, nose and lungs, brown rice, breathing power, life energy, and leadership power. Usually we can find this type as the CEO of a company. This person is principled, cuts like a knife and sees only in terms of winning and losing. If life does not go according to plan, they can become sad, suicidal, and denounce the world: ``Oh whoa is me, the world has betrayed me.’’ Good foods for metal are fish, red pepper, and spicy foods. The force represents a pulling apart energy that makes others feel tension or nervous. The face is shaped like a square.

Water means winter, dark, the color black, the kidneys, the fifth finger, the waist, ankles, ears, bones, black beans, seaweed, and salt. It’s a triangular face, and a soft yet cold person. This person likes to produce things, especially products to make life more comfortable and is always full of ideas. Always one to step outside of the group, they tend to push others away, so this force represents a pushing away power. They are full of wisdom but can also fall into depression or idleness when left alone too long. They tend to avoid conflict and when unhealthy, rebel constantly.

Ssanghwa means the newly discovered force. It’s the force governing the mind, lymph nodes, spirit, immune system, life force, hands, hot and cold of the body. Corn, yogurt, duck and lamb empower it. This person has an oval face, is full of ability and is a jack-of-all-trades, an innovator. This force represents the change of seasons.

A good point to remember is to always eat food according to the season and in order to prepare the body for coming changes, for the following season. For example, at this time of year eat spring and summer foods. More importantly, take a close look at the forces around you. One who stands up often and starts a project quickly has tree energy. One who can’t stand still is full of fire, and one who stands their ground with firmness and belief is full of hardiness and soil. One who slices, controls and is decisive is full of metal energy. One who pushes others away to ponder alone is full of water. Plants, animals, and all matter are made up of these forces. Observe them around you. As the universe is made up of these, if you wish to know the principles of nature, certainly you must know these principles. The simpler the theory is, the closer to truth it is.

The five forces are made up of a ``Sustaining Relationship’’ and a ``Destructive Relationship.’’ Tree helps fire, fire helps soil, soil helps metal and metal helps water. However, for balance, tree destroys soil, soil destroys water, water destroys fires, fire destroys metal, and metal destroys tree. Thus, if you have a stomach problem you may want to stop eating acidic and sour foods (tree), which are hurting your stomach (soil), and eat more fish, turnips and brown rice (metal) to destroy the tree, and of course add a little bitter food to help the soil.

One final point is that the five forces all contain one unchangeable temptation: in tree, a desire for acknowledgement; in fire, a desire for fame; in soil, a desire for wealth; in metal, a desire for honor; in water, a desire to produce. No matter what, this desire is your Achilles heel. The only method to destroy it is to do it through breathing _ but that’s another story.