Hexagram 15 · Line 5
Modesty — 五六
Qian Humility · Wu Liu
五六 · Wu Liu
The Line
Do not rely on wealth before one's neighbor. It is favorable to attack with force. Nothing that would not further.
Interpretation
Modesty is different from weak good-naturedness that lets everything slide. When one stands at a post of responsibility, one must under certain circumstances take energetic action. But for this it is necessary that one not try to act by personally insisting on one's superiority; rather, one must be certain of one's surroundings. The action must be purely objective and must contain nothing personally wounding. Thus Modesty shows itself even in severity.