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You are here: Home / Ways / Tools of Taoist Thought: Correlations / Correlations: 1600 Correlated Words

Correlations: 1600 Correlated Words

What is this list?
If you’ve just arrived to this site from a search engine, this is probably not the best place to start reading. If you’re interested in this approach of philosophical inquiry, you can read the Introduction to Correlations. Otherwise, check out the home page.

When you’re familiar with this method of inquiry, continue on with the following list which correlates around 1600 basic words. The Active (Yang) words are in alphabetical order, with their antonyms in the Passive (Yin) columns. See Couplets for another way to view these words.

First scan the correlations vertically to sense the qualities they share. Then read some horizontally, i.e., “activity abandons“, “passivity restrains“. Next, read some circularly, i.e., “activity abandons passivity,… passivity restrains activity“. Finally, jump around and string words together, i.e., “active life grows & abandons passive death,… passive death restrains & stagnates active life“. These procedures often produce obscure results; please ponder them — it takes time for deeper meaning to emerge. Also, work with those words which intrigue you. If they’re not on this list, add them.

Active (noun or adj.) Active (verb) Passive (antonym) Passive (antonym)
abrupt abandons gradual perseveres
accessory abhors essential adores
accurate aborts inexact bears
acid accelerates base delays
acquired achieves inherent designs
active acquires passive relinquishes
affected acts artless notices
against advances with recedes
aloof aggravates familiar alleviates
anger agitates amiable relaxes
anguish alerts bliss lulls
angular alienates circular associates
animal amplifies plant reduces
annual amuses perennial bores
answer animates question dampens
anxiety announces serenity suppresses
anything annoys everything satisfies
ardent answers apathetic questions
argument appears agreement vanishes
arrogant argues polite agrees
artificial arouses natural tames
assertive arranges shy jumbles
athlete ascends cripple descends
authoritarian assaults democratic defends
aversion asserts attraction hints
awake attacks asleep shields
awkward attempts graceful accomplishes
bald augments hairy trims
before avenges after forgives
bedlam awakens music sleeps
bias banishes balance welcomes
biased battles neutral submits
birth beats extinction caresses
body begets mind forestalls
bold begins meek ends
bondage biases freedom balances
bone blames skin vindicates
border blooms area wilts
brightness boils darkness freezes
brittle brandishes supple sheathes
brusque braves gentle bows
brutal breaks sensitive repairs
bulky brightens delicate dims
burden builds relief demolishes
busy bullies idle coaxes
callous burdens tender eases
candid busies secret idles
capitalism can socialism can’t
capricious captures predictable escapes
certitude ceases doubt persists
change challenges constancy concedes
chaos changes order remains
chicken circulates egg accumulates
child clamors parent quells
choice clarifies luck confounds
city clashes countryside harmonizes
civilized cleans primitive dirties
clockwise clears cntr_clockwise clouds
clothed climbs naked plunges
colorful coerces monotone induces
competition colors cooperation bleaches
complex competes simple cooperates
conceit complicates humility simplifies
concern concludes indifference queries
concrete condemns abstract approves
conditioned confronts instinctive adapts
confirmed confuses tentative orders
conspicuous conquers unknown relents
contempt continues compassion pauses
contemptible contradicts virtuous sustains
continents contrasts oceans parallels
copy cracks archetype bounces
corrupt craves ethical satiates
counterfeit crawls authentic reclines
cover cries inner laughs
cruel criticizes benevolent commends
danger curtails safety prolongs
daring dares timid fears
dawn dashes dusk dallies
day decides night ponders
defiant declares acquiescent intimates
definite decrees ambiguous entreats
definitive defies nebulous acquiesces
describable defines unclassifiable puzzles
desert demands forest requests
despair denies hope implies
devilish denounce godly endorse
difference deposits sameness withdraws
difficult desecrates easy consecrates
dignified despairs menial hopes
diligent destroys lazy creates
discord detaches harmony adheres
distant details close outlines
divorce determines marriage guesses
doctor differs nurse concurs
dry diffuses wet consolidates
duplicate aims original turns
dust directs soil rambles
ear disappoints nose fulfills
earth disavows heaven admits
east disdains west honors
eccentric disgusts conventional suits
edge dismiss center acknowledges
educated disperses unlearned assembles
effective disregards futile heeds
ego disrupts id composes
elective dissipates obligatory collects
electron disturbs proton settles
elite diverges average converges
embryo divides zygote unites
emotional divorces thoughtful marries
enemy do friend redo
energetic dries languid wets
energy drifts time immerses
equator drives poles hauls
erratic eats steady fasts
erroneous echoes correct rings
exact edifies vague mystifies
excessive effects prudent causes
exorbitant ejects subdued retains
explicable elaborates mysterious abridges
explicit elucidates enigmatic blurs
expressed emerges tacit returns
exterior enacts interior repeals
external encounters internal vacillates
extravagance endangers economy protects
extravagant ends plain continues
extreme enforces conservative waives
eye enhances belly diminishes
fable enlivens history depresses
facade enrages behind tempers
factory escalate farm plummets
fad escalates dated subsides
famous establishes anonymous nullifies
fanatic estranges reasonable reconciles
fancy evolves stark revolves
far exacerbates near ameliorates
faulty exalts perfect humbles
fence exchanges field keeps
fertilizer excites compost calms
fickle excludes settled includes
fiction exists fact succumbs
finite exits infinite enters
fire expands water contracts
firm expels flimsy invites
first expends last preserves
flame explains smoke asks
flat explodes bent implodes
flower exports fruit imports
flute exposes drum hides
folly expresses wisdom masks
food extemporizes shit rehearses
forged extends genuine cycles
formal extracts casual emanates
forward faces backward avoids
front fails back withstands
full feeds empty starves
future fights present compromises
gain fills loss empties
genius finishes moron lasts
grim fires pleasant stifles
gross firms subtle tenderizes
grown flattens sigh sags
growth floats stagnation founders
hand flourishes eye shrivel
hard flows soft ebbs
harmful forces beneficial allows
harsh forges gracious originates
haste forgets delay remembers
heat forsakes cold redeems
height frees depth inhibits
hell furthers paradise hinders
high gains low forfeits
hostile gambles friendly insures
house gobbles foundation tastes
human goes animal waits
hypocritical grabs sincere touches
i grants it denies
illness grates health glides
illusion grows reality stagnates
imaginary guesses real knows
incisive harasses feeble comforts
individual hardens family softens
inequity harms equality helps
infantile harvests mature cultivates
innovative hastens customary postpones
intelligent hates stupid loves
interesting heats monotonous cools
irregular heightens habitual deadens
isolation hoards association shares
jealous howls trusting silences
juvenile hungers elder holds
karma hunts yoga evades
kinetic hurries inert dawdles
laborious hurts effortless heals
leader hustles follower procrastinates
lean ignites fat smothers
learned ignores innate observes
liberal illuminates traditional obscures
lie impels truth curbs
life implores death opposes
life_practice improves life_principle worsens
line improvise pattern prepares
lion incites dear quiets
lively increases inactive decreases
logical indulges intuitive disciplines
lost inflames found pacifies
lucid inflates dim deflates
lumber inhale tree exhale
macho inherits feminine bequeaths
mad initiates sane masters
male innovates female retrenches
mankind instructs god confuses
many insults few dignifies
massive intensifies slight mitigates
masterpiece interacts paltry integrates
material interests ethereal drains
maximum interfere minimum aid
mean intimidate kind cowers
midday invigorates evening weakens
minister irritates flock appeases
minor is major isn’t
misery isolates satisfaction involves
moon jeers earth admires
morning judges afternoon deliberates
motion jumps stasis hesitates
mountain kindles valley extinguishes
multiple labors single loiters
muscle launches blood lands
music lavishes sound subdues
myriad leads none follows
nail leaves hammer arrives
named liberates tao imprisons
narrow lightens broad darkens
nation listens culture hears
need lives enough dies
nucleus loads cell dumps
new looks old sees
noise loses quiet finds
north magnifies south understates
noticeable materializes inconspicuous evaporates
objective meddles subjective succors
obstacle misses advantage meets
obstinate modifies submissive upholds
obvious motivates implied restrains
occupied moves vacant stays
odd multiplies matched subtracts
on murders off kills
one narrows zero widens
opponent neglects ally nurtures
organ obeys system governs
organic obtains inorganic foregos
orgasm occupies foreplay vacates
ornate offends spartan charms
outcome omits process entails
outstanding opens mediocre closes
over opposes under conforms
page organizes book clutters
part ostracizes whole embrace
path outlaws garden tolerates
pattern overlooks principle attends
peak overthrows abyss supports
peculiar pains standard pleases
perverse panics moral consoles
physical passes spiritual lingers
point peaks line bottoms
pointed performs blunt falters
polished perishes tarnished endures
politics persecutes religion assists
positive persists negative refrains
practical persuades visionary dissuades
practice picks theory drops
prejudice pierces impartial seals
present points past blunts
presumptuous polishes retiring tarnishes
private pours public dunks
processed practices raw theorizes
progress praises recession taints
prominent precedes obscure succeeds
pungent preserves bland rots
pure proceeds contaminated retreats
purposeful proclaims useless retracts
quantity promotes quality leashes
radical prompts moderate arrests
rare propels common retards
rational proves paradoxical refutes
rebel provides patriot withholds
recent provokes ancient assuages
reckless punishes cautious pardons
relative purifies absolute pollutes
restless pushes patient pulls
result quickens test slows
rhythm radiates noise absorbs
rich raises poor lowers
right ratifies left vetoes
rigid rationalizes flexible intuits
river reads lake baffles
roof reaps floor sows
rough rejects smooth accepts
ruthless releases compassionate locks
sour renews salty ripens
samsara rents nirvana owns
sand repels beach attracts
scarcity replies abundance inquires
science reports philosophy reviews
seclusion requires companionship forgoes
secondary resists primary complies
seldom reveals frequent conceals
selfish rises selfless sinks
sensitive risks detached guards
separated roars together whimpers
severe roughens mild smooths
severed runs joined walks
sex sanctions love censors
shallow scatters deep gathers
sharp scolds dull excuses
short scorns long appreciates
shower scours bath sullies
singular secedes mutual merges
sinner seeks saint eludes
skepticism segregates faith combines
slippery sells sticky buys
small sends large receives
sober sensitizes drunk numbs
solar separates galactic blends
soldier severs army joins
solid shakes fluid steadies
something sharpens nothing dulls
sophisticated shatters naive mends
sorrow shifts happiness abides
sound shocks silence reassure
special shortens usual lengthens
specialist shouts generalist whispers
specific shows general watches
sperm shuns ovum encompasses
spring slights fall concerns
square snubs round cares
stand solidifies lie liquifies
steep speaks sloping listens
stern speeds lax creeps
stiff spends flabby saves
stingy splurges generosity abstains
straight spoils curved beautifies
strength sprawls weakness curls
strong spreads weak compresses
stupidity springs judicious falls
sturdy spurns frail respects
success squares failure warps
summer stands winter lies
sunny stares rainy glances
superficial starts profound stops
superior steals inferior earns
surf sterilizes wave fertilizes
surprising stimulates expected tranquilizes
tangible stirs elusive stills
teacher straightens class bends
technology strengthens science exhausts
temporary strips perpetual covers
terrestrial strives celestial desists
thin struggles thick yields
thoughtless succeeds pensive fails
tidy surface messy submerges
tight survives loose expires
to suspects from trusts
top swells bottom shrinks
transitory switches lasting maintains
troublesome takes pleasing gives
two taxes three exempts
ugly teaches beauty learns
uneven tell level secretes
ungainly tenses poised slackens
universe thins eternity thickens
unusual thirsts classic quenches
up threatens down shelters
vanity thrives modesty withers
variable thrust constant parries
variety thwarts similarity backs
vehement tidies cool litters
vertical tightens horizontal loosens
virgin toils defiled lounges
virus torments bacteria soothes
visible transform invisible obeys
visitor tries host quits
volatile trims stable fattens
volcano troubles canyon relieves
vulgar undoes refined fastens
vulnerable upsets invincible mollifies
wakeful urges drowsy limits
wall uses window reserves
wandering ushers stationary ensues
war vexes peace delights
white visits black hosts
wild walks tame crawls
willful wants spontaneous forbears
windy warms calm chills
woe was joy wasn’t
wonderful washes ordinary soils
word wastes sentence conserves
work waxes leisure wanes
worldly whitens holy blackens
wrong wins right loses
yang wobbles yin stabilizes
young works aged rests
youth wrings adult soaks
jealous writes dispassionate erases

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