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Huangdi asked Shaoshi: I have heard that people have yin-yang. What is a person with predominant yin? What is a person with predominant yang? Shaoshi replied: Between heaven and earth, within the six pairs of meridians, it does not depart from the five. People also correspond to this, not just one yin and one yang, but briefly speaking, the mouth cannot fully explain it. Huangdi said: I wish to briefly hear its meaning. Are there sages and wise men whose hearts can fully comprehend and act upon it? Shaoshi said: There are taiyin people, shaoyin people, Taiyang (EX-HN5) people, shaoyang people, and yin-yang harmonious people. These five types of people have different dispositions, and their sinews, bones, qi, and blood are each unequal. Huangdi asked: Can I hear about their inequalities? Shaoshi replied:

• taiyin people are greedy and unkind, lowly and deep, fond of taking in and disliking giving out, their hearts are harmonious but do not express, they do not strive for the times, they act only after others, these are taiyin people.
• shaoyin people are slightly greedy and have a thieving heart, when they see others lose, they often feel as if they have gained, they enjoy harming and injuring, when they see others prosper, they become angry, their hearts are diseased and without kindness, these are shaoyin people.
• Taiyang (EX-HN5) people live comfortably, enjoy speaking of grand matters, are incapable but speak emptily, their ambitions spread across the four fields. Their actions do not consider right or wrong, they act as if accustomed to self-use, even if they fail, they often have no regret, these are Taiyang (EX-HN5) people.
• shaoyang people are precise and value themselves highly, if they have a small official position, they consider themselves highly suitable, they enjoy external interactions but do not attach internally, these are shaoyang people.
• yin-yang harmonious people live quietly, without fear or joy, they gently follow things, sometimes they do not contend, they change with the times, when respected they are humble, they discuss but do not govern, this is called ultimate governance.

In ancient times, those skilled in using acupuncture and moxibustion would observe the five types of constitution in people and then treat them, reducing excess and tonifying deficiency. Huangdi asked: How does one treat the five types of constitution in people? Shaoshi replied:

• taiyin people have much yin and no yang, their yin blood is turbid, their Weiqi is sluggish, yin-yang is not harmonious, their sinews are lax and their skin is thick, if not treated with swift reduction, it cannot be changed.
• shaoyin people have much yin shaoyang, small stomach and large intestine, their six fu are not regulated, their yangming pulse is small, and their Taiyang (EX-HN5) pulse is large, they must be carefully regulated, their blood is easily depleted, their qi is easily damaged.
• Taiyang (EX-HN5) people have much yang and shaoyin, they must be cautiously regulated, do not deplete their yin, and reduce their yang, if yang is heavily depleted, they easily become manic, if both yin and yang are depleted, they die suddenly without awareness.
• shaoyang people have much yang shaoyin, their channels are small and their collaterals are large, blood is inside and qi is outside, their yin is full and yang is empty, if only their collateral vessels are reduced, then strong qi collapses and illness arises, middle qi is insufficient, and illness does not resolve.
• yin-yang harmonious people have harmonious yin-yang qi, and their blood vessels are regulated.

Carefully diagnose their yin-yang, observe their evil and upright, settle their appearance, examine excess and deficiency, reduce excess and tonify deficiency, if not excess or deficiency, treat through the channels. This is how to regulate yin-yang and distinguish the five types of constitution in people.

Huangdi asked: When the five types of constitution people meet without cause, suddenly and newly, and their behavior is unknown, how can they be distinguished? Shaoshi replied: The masses are not like the five types of constitution people, thus five times five makes twenty-five people, and the five types of constitution people are not among them. The five types of constitution people are especially not in harmony with the masses. Huangdi asked: How to distinguish the five types of constitution people? Shaoshi said:

• taiyin people have a dark black appearance, their thoughts are lowly, they are tall and large, their knees are not bent, these are taiyin people.
• shaoyin people have a clear and stealthy appearance, firmly with a thieving nature, they stand restlessly and dangerously, they walk as if crouching, these are shaoyin people.
• Taiyang (EX-HN5) people have a grand and stored appearance, they turn their bodies and bend their knees, these are Taiyang (EX-HN5) people.
• shaoyang people have an appearance of standing with a preference for looking up, walking with a preference for swaying, their two arms and elbows often protrude from their back, these are shaoyang people.
• yin-yang harmonious people have a gentle and following appearance, dignified and joyful, serene and composed, everyone calls them gentlemen, these are yin-yang harmonious people.