The four elements of the West refer to "water, fire, wind and earth". Westerners in the past believed that this was the basis of all things. This theory first came from the Druid religion in Northern Europe. It was later introduced to Western Europe and was continuously processed and integrated. People today regard this view as the simple world view of the ancients, because the basic substances of all things in the world are obviously not four kinds: "water, fire, wind, and earth." Even water and earth are composed of molecules and atoms, and fire and wind are intangible things. But in fact, the world composed of the four elements that the ancients referred to is not a material world that can be explained by atoms and molecules, but includes spiritual things. From this point of view, we also have to admit that the theory of four elements has philosophical significance.
The fire element represents strength. Man is powerful and therefore man contains the element of fire. All powerful and explosive things in nature contain the element of fire in this theory. In addition, the symbolic power of the fire element is widespread in many cultures. The warmth, light, and accompanying sense of power represented by flames are recognized by almost all ethnic groups, that is to say, worshiped The power of fire is an instinctive reaction for almost all humans. As early as when humans had just shed their thick long hair, they slowly discovered the warmth that fire could bring them, and discovered the power of life that could be regained after dispelling the severe cold.
The element of wind represents wisdom. People are wise, so they also contain the element of wind. In addition to people, the element of wind is also everywhere in nature. Druids believe that animals also have minds so that they can find prey and avoid natural enemies, so the element of wind also exists in animals; they even believe that plants also have wisdom, and that when they bloom and when they fall, they contain the essence of nature. Endowed with their wisdom, the plants also have elements of the air element. The wind is endowed with a free and changeable anthropomorphic character, and is pervasive, just like their understanding of wisdom: free, broad, and all-encompassing.
The water element represents emotions. Humans are emotional animals, so the water element is naturally indispensable. There is nothing in nature that does not contain water at all. Even the sand in the desert contains water. This means that all things have emotions in their eyes, which is also in line with their animistic worldview. Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. Even the smallest emotions can explode into terrible mood swings, and may even cause huge destruction, just like the devastation when a trickle of water merges into a flood. Water is invisible but can take on all forms, and the same is true for emotions, which are indescribable but are ever-changing.
The earth element represents matter. The human body is considered material, so humans naturally have the element of earth. The earth element is endowed with a thick and steady anthropomorphic character. As the material foundation of the entire world model, the earth element is very solid and reliable, giving people a sense of security and reliability. However, the earth element is also considered to have the shortcomings of not being flexible enough and being stubborn. Unlike the three elements mentioned earlier, the earth element is a material element and is the only element that represents visible and tangible matter.
Finally, we need to note that the four elements are not of the same nature. The earth element is a material element, while fire, fengshui and fire are spiritual elements. Taking humans as an example, if a person has the element of earth, he or she has a body, and a person with a mere body cannot take any action. Therefore, a person also needs to have strength, wisdom, and emotions, which are the three elements of fire, wind, and water. If the four elements are divided into two categories: material elements and spiritual elements, we can see that in this system, the existence of material and spiritual elements is equally important and both are indispensable. Without matter, spirit cannot perform its functions; without spirit, matter can only be a lifeless decoration. This is also consistent with the doctrine of dualism.
From this question, we can see that when many people look back to understand the worldview of people in the past, it is easy to take it for granted that the idea of ????being the predecessors is naive or even ridiculous, because these doctrines seem obvious. Not scientific. However, if we put aside our pretensions as modern people and put ourselves in their shoes to understand the cultural background and reasons for the formation of these doctrines, we often find that we are actually the ones who are naive. We often take it for granted that opinions that seem to have no scientific basis at first glance are wrong. In fact, this often just proves our own pride and superficiality. This is true for the four elements, and even true for Chinese medicine.
PS: I would like to explain a little about the birthplace of the four elements theory.
The most fundamental origin of the four-element theory is the Nordic Druid religion. Later, Christianity entered Northern Europe and almost caused the Druid religion to disappear. However, it combined the four-element theory with certain parts of Christianity (for example, Christianity has four-element angels). and spread back to Western Europe. Occult scholars in Western Europe (including wizards, alchemists, etc.) developed this theory and it was known all over the world. Because of this, many people think that the four-element theory originated in Western Europe, but in fact the Druid religion of Northern Europe is the real source of this theory. Unfortunately, the Druid religion is almost extinct in the world today. Although some people advocate its revival, it is far from the original ideas of the Druid. It usually only inherits the Druid's environmental protection concept and does not inherit anything else. Speaking of which, Druid herbalism may be similar to Chinese traditional medicine. In today's world, only a very few people are still silently persisting in their lives as druids in modern civilization, continuing the candle of civilization that has been swaying in the strong wind for more than a thousand years.