more complex meanings are expressed by a group of 2 or more symbols.

Thus, in Chinese, the meaning of CRISIS is expressed by a pair of symbols, which when used alone, the first means "danger" and the second means "opportunity".

And how true this is! When things are normal, there are usually not many opportunities. However, when there is a crisis, well then of course there is danger, but usually, you will also find more and often very interesting opportunities. It's like the stock exchange when things are "flat" versus when there are "turbulences". When can you win (and of course loose!) more...?

This old Chinese philosophy is very similar to the ancient Greek meaning of "crisis", which is "judgment", "evaluation" and the taking of an important decision. It is not a bad situation as such. One has to be careful, but at the same time also look for the hidden opportunities and new ways out of the crisis.

The situation can be compared with a driver entering a circular junction with many ways to go. The driver must find and evaluate all options and decide, which way to go. And usually, the decision must be taken quickly, before the car runs out of fuel.....