The Chinese zodiac consists of 12 animals — the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep (or goat), monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. Each animal is paired with an animal with the opposite characteristic, reflecting the teachings of ancient China.
Pairs of animals in the Chinese zodiac
The first pair in the Chinese zodiac is the rat and the ox. The rat represents wisdom, and the ox symbolizes diligence. Wisdom and diligence must go hand in hand. If someone only has wisdom without diligence, that person will be shrewd. If a person were solely diligent without intelligence, that person would lack wisdom. So both wisdom and diligence must be combined.
The second pair in the Chinese zodiac is the tiger and rabbit. The tiger represents bravery, while the rabbit represents caution. Courage and caution should go hand in hand. Without warning, the brave become reckless, while blindly cautious would be considered timid. These characteristics are also essential, so they have been positioned as the second pair.
The next pair of animals in the Chinese zodiac is the dragon and the snake. The dragon represents toughness; the snake represents flexibility. The ancient Chinese believe that being firm while flexible is an essential character trait.
The next pair in the Chinese zodiac is the horse and the sheep. The horse represents resoluteness and obstinacy, while the sheep represents someone considerate. If someone is bent on achieving their goals without being aware of their environment, they are bound to encounter obstacles preventing them from reaching their goals.
However, if a person is always looking for consensus but is otherwise without direction, they cannot achieve their goal. So being determined and being considerate are both crucial traits that go hand in hand. This reflects the fourth expectation the ancients had for the Chinese people.
The next pair in the Chinese zodiac is the monkey and the rooster. The monkey represents flexibility. There were no clocks in ancient times, and the rooster’s crow would determine the beginning of the day, so the rooster signifies stability. Flexibility and stability must also go hand in hand. Flexibility without stability would be wanting, and stability on its own is like a pool of stagnant water. The best outcome comes from having both stability and flexibility.
The final pair in the Chinese zodiac is the dog and the pig. The dog represents loyalty; the pig represents affability. A loyal person without being affable would come across as being exclusionary. Conversely, a person who is too easygoing without a sense of loyalty can quickly lose their principles.
Regardless of whether it is loyalty to the country, loyalty to the team, or loyalty to ideals, it must be combined with an element of friendliness. That is what the ancient Chinese taught — the outside shows roundness, while the inside shows squareness — a person must be amiable, yet they must also have principles.
Every Chinese person has a zodiac sign. Someone could be born in the Year of the Pig, while another person could be born in the Year of the Dog. The ancient Chinese believed in the importance of harmonizing with others. A person born in the Year of the Pig might be easygoing, but they must also be loyal, while a person born in the Year of the Dog could be loyal but must also learn to be flexible.
