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Hexagram 17: Following

Hexagram 17

(Suí)

Core Meaning

Adaptability, alignment with the times, yielding to the natural flow.

Description & Commentary

Choosing to follow good influences brings supreme success. You may not be able to change the direction of the wind, but by frequently adjusting your sails, you can arrive at your destination with a joy that inspires others to follow you.

Those who wish to acquire a following must speak the language of their followers. Those who wish to be loved must become the imagined lover of their beloved. Those who wish to prosper must bend with the pressures of the world. In matters of principle, stand firm; in matters of style and taste, swim with the current. If guile or self-aggrandizement enters the equation, resistance will be what follows. Focus on the common good in order to remain unharmed.

In the affairs of humanity, change is constant; old ideas are discarded in favor of new ones. A great leader can emerge only by being adaptable to the demands of the times. Similarly, only by adjusting to changing circumstances can one prosper in the world of commerce. Remain flexible, and you will gain the confidence of those around you. Bend and you will not break.

Balance activity with some relaxation to serve the situation well and to maintain a state of healthy energy, minimizing both internal and external resistance to your goals.

Associated Hexagrams

King Wen Pair

#18 - Work on the Ruined
(Gǒ)
Traditional sequential partner in the King Wen sequence.

Nuclear Hexagram (Huà Guà)

#53 - Gradual Progress
(Jiàn)
Inner nuclear kernel (Huá Guà) formed by the overlapping interior lines 2-3-4 and 3-4-5.

Opposite / Complement (Páng Tōng)

#18 - Work on the Ruined
(Gǒ)
Total line complement (Páng Tōng) where every Yin line becomes Yang and vice versa.

Inverted / Reverse (Fān Guà)

#18 - Work on the Ruined
(Gǒ)
Upside-down structural flip (Fān Guà).

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