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In my enemy is my friend
In my friend is my enemy
I exist because he does
But he exists from where I don't
Round and round we go again
Each placed in the other's domain
But most places we are seen
We are seen as part of the same dream
Where 1 is 2 and in that 2 are 2 more
My purpose is to show
You can't have one without the other, forever more!

What am I?

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  • $\begingroup$ Makes me think of light and darkness $\endgroup$
    – dcfyj
    Commented Nov 29, 2016 at 15:43
  • $\begingroup$ I can't understand this line Where 1 is 2 and in that 2 are 2 more here 2 is what? $\endgroup$
    – Mukul Kumar
    Commented Nov 29, 2016 at 16:17

3 Answers 3

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I think you are

yin and yang: yin yang symbol

In my enemy is my friend
In my friend is my enemy

Seemingly contrary forces can be interlinked, such as good and bad or light and dark.

I exist because he does
But he exists from where I don't

The concept of bad can only exist if good does, and vice-versa, and where there is not bad, there can be good. (Same applies to other apparently opposite forces.)

Round and round we go again
Each placed in the other's domain

As on the traditional symbol, the swirls follow each other.

But most places we are seen
We are seen as part of the same dream

Sometimes there's a fine line between the two, or none at all.

Where 1 is 2 and in that 2 are 2 more

The one symbol has two swirly shapes in, each containing one small circle.

My purpose is to show
You can't have one without the other, forever more!

The symbol represents the concept of duality, which could be called timeless.

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  • $\begingroup$ I'd like to suggest editing the fifth explanation, since that line of riddle is actually originated from a sentence of I Ching which is well known by Chinese people. $\endgroup$
    – Shane Hsu
    Commented Nov 30, 2016 at 9:06
  • $\begingroup$ Please do @ShaneHsu, I think you can click on edit underneath. (I'm not sure how to explain better.) $\endgroup$
    – pb8330
    Commented Nov 30, 2016 at 9:28
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Is it

Fire and water

In my enemy is my friend
In my friend is my enemy

In fire and water is oxygen.

I exist because he does
But he exists from where I don't

They both exist because of oxygen and water exists in the sea where fire can't.

Round and round we go again
Each placed in the other's domain

Water puts out fire, but fire evaporates water.

But most places we are seen
We are seen as part of the same dream

They are both part of the 4 elements - water, air, fire and earth.

Where 1 is 2 and in that 2 are 2 more
My purpose is to show

Not sure, but fire is to show light. @yitzih suggested H20?

You can't have one without the other, forever more!

You can't have water and fire without oxygen.

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  • $\begingroup$ You got the last two wrong... $\endgroup$
    – Mukul Kumar
    Commented Nov 29, 2016 at 16:13
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As an addition to @Beastly Gerbil's answer:

Where 1 is 2 and in that 2 are 2 more:

In Water(H2O) there are 2 elements (Hydrogen and Oxygen) and the are 2 of the Hydrogen atom.

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