31. Influence (Wooing)

The two trigrams

above

☱

The Lake

兌 · duì

gathered water, as in a marsh or lake

below

☶

The Mountain

艮 · gèn

a hill or mountain

The Judgement

Influence is the hexagram of mutual attraction: the youngest son below and the youngest daughter above, the mountain receiving the lake, two forces that touch and move towards each other. The text promises free course and success when the conditions are fulfilled, and explains what the advantage depends on: being firm and correct, as in marrying a young woman, that is, with an honest intention and with respect for the forms that make a bond solid. There will be good fortune. If these days you feel drawn to someone, or feel that you are exerting a pull on someone, in love, but also in a new friendship, in a collaboration being born, in an audience listening to you, this hexagram tells you the influence is real and can carry far. Its condition is sincerity: the influence that springs from right motives, and aims at right ends, is sure to be effective; the kind that manipulates soon burns out. The practical advice is to let yourself be involved without calculation, to take the right steps in the right order, introduce yourself, get to know, declare yourself, without skipping stages or hiding your intentions, and to check that the attraction you feel goes together with esteem. When body and heart move in the same direction, the road is open.

The Image

The image is that of the lake set high above the mountain: the waters descend by themselves to water and fertilise the land around. This is how influence passes between those above and those below, without forcing. The wise person, the text says, keeps the mind free from preoccupation and open to receive the influence of others. The commentators read in it the lesson of humility: making oneself empty so that something can come in. If you notice that you listen to others only in order to reply, or arrive at every meeting with your head already full, this image asks you for space. The practical advice: in the conversations that matter, listen to the end before speaking, and let other people's ideas truly touch you.

First line

The first line shows someone moving their big toes: the influence is just beginning, an impulse that makes itself felt but is not yet enough to set one walking. However much you move your toes, you will not walk. It is the first sign of an attraction, an interest, a wish to go out towards someone or something, still entirely inward. If you notice your mind turning towards a person or a project, there is nothing wrong in it, but it is not yet time to act. The advice is to observe the desire without rushing, giving it time to reveal itself for what it is.

Second line

The second line shows someone moving the calves of their legs: there will be evil; but if they stay quiet in their place, there will be good fortune. The calves do not move by themselves, they follow the feet: moving them first means being too anxious to set off. It is the impatience of someone who wants to run towards the other before the other has moved, in love or in a negotiation. Be careful: whoever offers themselves too quickly loses value. The advice is to remain calm and available, letting the initiative come from whoever is above or ahead of you: good fortune lies in that waiting.

Third line

The third line shows someone moving their thighs and holding tight to those they follow: going forward in this way will bring regret. The thighs, too, do not move by themselves; here the person is strong, wants to move, and clings to whoever goes before, exerting their influence with an ulterior motive. It is the image of someone who runs after others, tags along with every impulse, follows whoever attracts them without judgment. If you recognise yourself in this restlessness that cannot keep still, the advice is to ask yourself what you really want: not everything that draws you deserves to be followed, and attaching yourself to someone out of interest always leaves a bitter taste.

Fourth line

The fourth line is the seat of the heart, and shows that firm correctness which brings good fortune and removes every cause for repentance. But it adds a warning: if the one who occupies it is unsettled in their movements, only their friends will follow their purpose. The influence that comes from the heart is the most powerful, provided it is constant and free of ulterior motives. If you want what you feel to truly reach the other person, and not only the circle of those who already care for you, the advice is to be consistent: do not change your attitude from one day to the next, do not send contradictory signals, do not play games. The sincerity that lasts is the kind that convinces even those who do not know you.

Fifth line

The fifth line shows someone moving the flesh along the spine above the heart: there will be no cause for repentance. It is a part of the body behind and above the heart, and so the influence that comes from it is modest, almost ineffective, but entirely free of selfish motives. It is the portrait of someone who holds a high position and acts with clean intentions but little hold on others. If you feel that your efforts to communicate or persuade do not reach far, do not blame yourself: your conduct is right. The advice is to accept the limited influence of this moment without forcing it, and to keep doing well for the sake of doing it.

Sixth line

The sixth line shows someone moving their jaws and tongue: they try to influence others with words alone, and their words are chatter and flattery. The text adds no judgment, because, as the commentary says, the harm of such conduct needs no pointing out. We are at the top of the trigram of satisfaction, where the pleasure of talking has taken the place of substance. If you notice yourself promising more than you deliver, filling silences with empty compliments, seeking approval through glib talk, be careful: no one is influenced for long by a mouth that moves on its own. The advice is to speak less and let the facts do the talking.

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