The world we live in has been built and maintained on the idea of ​​polar opposites and juxtapositions for everything: darkness and light; day and night; decency and wickedness; and pleasure and pain. The fact that the world is full of polarities is nothing new, since the world is explicitly dualistic; and it is nothing more than a hybrid of polarities. As a result, people always tend to struggle to maintain a corresponding balance between the two opposing forces. The existence of polarities provides meaning to one's world. Furthermore, if polar opposites did not exist, a concept devoid of any meaning would exist because it would be difficult to know what the right is when the left does not exist. Therefore, polarities are omnipresent in the interpersonal life of every single human being on this world and are extremely visible. Yet, there is a gray area between all the polar opposites in our lives, but people deliberately choose to ignore it because it is ingrained in their daily lives, so they choose to take these polarities for granted and deal with them as usual every day. worries. As a result, the idea prevails that this gray area connecting both binaries and opposites is non-existent, and this is what creates the black and white dichotomous separations. However, these false dichotomous or binary separations ignore the relationship upon which these dichotomies are created. People usually say that opposites attract and they have built their world on the fury of opposites going back and forth until they harmonize; however, they tend to create that resilient bond between polar opposites, arguing that because they are opposites or contradictory, they cannot be miscellaneous. Nowadays, even though people recognize the fact that polarities exist, they often miss the opportunity to create the complex relationship between these polarities. People have been taught to assume that it is okay to think of polarities as things that are at odds with each other, ignoring everyday experiences that prove otherwise. Polarities should motivate people to seek and create relationships between everything they see; because to better understand this world it is necessary to analyze the relationship between the widespread polarities that surround everyone's daily life. Polarities are evident in everything around us, including places of worship, the spaces around us, and our bodies, but they are not conveyed effectively. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Among the most common polarities is the polarity of left and right; one that is seen and addressed every single day. The figurative distinctions between left and right are what cause cultural classifications between people. From clinical evidence, numerous theories have developed about the alleged physiological and neurological reasons for right-versus-left biases and performance in human behavior. Robert Hertz in his important literary piece, “The Pre-eminence of The Right Hand: A Study of Religious Polarity,” addressed asymmetry in the body and hands in the context of the dichotomous perspective of left and right. He assumed that in the feud between right and left, the right was the most prevalent and vital as he said: the honors go to the right hand: it acts, orders and takes. The left hand, however, is despised and assigned a mediocre role. Furthermore, he stated that the left hand role is nothing more than a mediocre secondary role where it merely assists and supports the right hand. Hertz also argues that asymmetry is perpetuated on a sociocultural level, which to some extent makes perfect sense for several reasons. One of these reasons is the fact that society pushes theleft-handed people to make more effort and use their right hand instead. (ask if you can add an anecdote). Not only this, but societies have also cultivated the use of the right and discriminated against the left; this is why, from Hertz's point of view, right-handed people are socially preferred to left-handed people. Hertz states that according to a tribe called Maori what is considered profane is that the left side is considered the side of death as well as the profane side, while on the other hand the right side is considered the sacred as well as the side of life. This polarity social is, in fact, a reflection of the religious polarity that exists and has given space for the social polarity to exist and spread. According to Hertz, on religious polarity, a fundamental dualism between “sacred” and “profane” dominates the spiritual world; since the right hand is the one used in Prayer and since the Gods lie on the right side, while the demons lie on the left side. Furthermore, the believer must instinctively look towards the region where the sun rises, which is the right side. All the polarities of this world were created to teach human beings how to distinguish and contrast their right and left. The main task of religious studies is not to address these polarities, however important they may be in establishing disproving theories proposed by neurologists, physiologists, or even anthropologists; however, these polarities are addressed and even encouraged in several religious texts. Regarding the left and right polarity and symbolism in Islam, several undeniable proofs can be found. Muslims are required to face east when perfuming all religious rituals. Furthermore, Muslims are ordered to enter the toilets with the left foot, because they are entering the devil's house, and to stand with the right foot while exiting the devil's house. Not only that, but Muslims are also ordered to drink with their right hand and not with their left because if they ate with their left hand Satan would join the meal. Likewise, in Christianity the right hand symbolizes dominion, authority, sovereignty, blessing and strength and is also significant in the Scriptures. All of this evidence supports the idea mentioned by Hertz regarding the right being referred to as sacred or holy and the left as profane or impure. This also explains the fact that in numerous cultures, both civilized and primitive, preference is given to the right foot or hand to perform noble tasks in religious rituals and normal daily affairs. On the other hand, however, the left foot and hand are assigned auxiliary tasks. Therefore, it could be said that the asymmetry or polarity that emerges between the left and the right is the result of both social and religious notions that have been ingrained and implanted in people. In Islam and Christianity, the right versus left polarity and the favoring of the right due to the prevailing idea that it is sacred and that the left is profane and impure is extremely distinguishable. In my visit to the Samaan El-Kharaz monastery, it was evident how prevalent and important the idea of ​​the sacredness of the right side was when I saw that the women were seated on the left from the priest's perspective and that the men were seated on the left the right. Since women are also believed to be impure and profane, they were assigned the left side because it is also impure. Furthermore, when the priest sprinkled the holy water after finishing the ritual, he used his right hand because it is considered blessed and sacred. As a result, when I was visiting the Uqba ibn Amir shrine, which is located inside the Uqba Ibn Amir mosque, we should have entered the mosque with our right foot because the mosque is considered a sacred place, so we have to use our sacred foot when you enter. In my visit toSaman El-Kharaz monastery, I realized that women are forbidden to give communion due to the fact that they menstruate, therefore they are considered unclean because to people andIn societies menstruation symbolizes death and death is considered unattractive and impure. Not only this, but also the fact that women menstruate, and are therefore considered impure or profane, they cannot cross the altar because it is considered a holy or sacred place where no impurities must be allowed to enter. The pure versus impure dichotomy was reflected by Mary Douglas in her book “Purity and Danger.” According to Douglas, our beliefs about purity imply a systematic classification of matter; societies avoid particular foods, animals or substances because they are considered impure. Douglas argues that the distinction between sacred and profane is not disappearing with the passage of time but is rather “manifesting” itself even more in secular terms of pure and impure. Douglas, in his book, also claims that the distinction between cleanliness and impurity is standard for all cultures, even primitive ones; therefore, from what Douglas says it can be deduced that the polarity between sanctity and profanity is a cultural issue determined by current and symbolic structures. Furthermore, from his perspective, he went on to say that since dirt represents power and creativity, purity should represent rigidity and lack of change. What Douglas is trying to say here is that despite most religions' rejection of dirt and pollution, what she calls "primitive religions" are now revealing it through paradoxes and contradictions. These religions emphasize the importance of dirt and how necessary it is to replace what has been rejected, incorporating the process of renewal. Douglas argues that, essentially, rituals help create clearly defined boundaries around purity and vulgarity that help both assure society that the world is more certain and under control, and provide a set of tools to facilitate understanding of the world . What Douglas was trying to convey and what also makes a lot of sense in the modern world is the fact that discourses of purity and impurity act as a homeostatic system that ensures the preservation of this social whole. Thus, the purity versus impurity dichotomy is necessary to maintain social balance despite all the feuds and debates circulating on this topic. Furthermore, one of the most stereotyped and common polarities is the polarity between the sexes. When talking about gender polarity, people usually approach it from a superficial perspective and, as a result, undermine the crucial issues of this dichotomy. Gender and the way in which each gender is perceived by societies influences people's actions and expectations towards themselves and others. The social gender binary states that a man should be masculine and a woman is feminine, as a result, a stigma is created against anything that deviates from that standard. Anyone can point out the characteristics that would be favorable or belong to male or female, because this is what society has implanted in people. Gender polarities are created and maintained by societies, just like all other polarities. Societies have established descriptions for females and males, and no one should deviate from these descriptions if they want to be socially accepted. Women are depicted as mediocre and impure regardless of the social or economic standard they meet, just because they have a predisposition to menstruate. On the other hand, men are described as the leaders of this society and, of course, are considered pure. On my recent visit toUqba Ibn Amir shrine and Rabia Al-Adaweya sightseeing tour, the idea of ​​gender stereotypes was particularly evident there. While Uqba was depicted and considered a scholar because he was one of the contemporaries of the Prophet Muhammad and because he was considered a man of faith, Rabia was depicted as a “bride”. Even though Rabia had once been a slave and was a poet, they still portrayed her as a bride due to the gender stereotypes that overwhelm and control them. This is somewhat what Sherry Ortner talks about in Is Female To Male As Nature Is To Culture; argues that because women have the ability to reproduce, they are in many cases seen as closer to nature. She draws the conclusion that although women may be dominant in certain areas or tasks, when it comes to esteemed positions, it is men who get them even if women are considered better. What Ortner says delves into the idea of ​​gender in societies, he basically says that no matter what women do, they will stay in that corner and all the stereotypes will still haunt them. Leila Abu Lughod in her book “Veiled Sentiments” explains how a tribe called Awlad Ali treats their women as subordinates. The men of this tribe believe that women should not have the right to education or freedom and should stick to their assigned role of taking care of the home and children. This brings us to the depiction of Rabia as a bride; no matter how hard a woman works or tries to prove herself, society will always have its expectations of women set according to social rules. Additionally, “Body Shame” by Michael Stewart discusses the purity and impurity section of the gender dichotomy. She claims that what Gypsy women are extremely ashamed of is menstruating; to hide this shame they are forced to wear an apron over their skirt once they reach puberty. Not only that, but Gypsy women reported feelings of discomfort after giving birth due to being considered impure and as a result were forced to stay indoors for three consecutive days. On the other hand, since men were considered pure because they did not menstruate, they were not ashamed of anything. Gypsy men can enjoy life freely, sleep with any woman they want because social rules do not limit them in any possible way. The dichotomy between pure and impure in the genre also reminded me of my visit to Samaan El-kharaz when I attended mass. I discovered that even though women made up the majority of participants, they could not walk across the aisle or receive communion due to the fact that they menstruate, so they are considered unclean. Since the mass is a sacred rite and menstruating women are considered impure, they are not allowed inside the room where the mass is celebrated. It is evident that social rules, along with religious ones, are the main reasons behind the inferior view of women and widen the polarity between both genders with their stereotyped expectations and rules. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Different politicians (people), try to construct a polarity between politics and religion or simply represent them as binaries. They try to represent the idea of ​​separating the terms politics and religion and to convince people that there actually is a difference. However, I don't really see the polarity between religion and politics and so do many esteemed anthropologists and theorists. Presenting religion and politics as binaries not even remotely connected to each other makes little sense because in most cultures, primitive and modern,;.