需
5. Waiting
xū; Nourishment
Judgment
需：有孚，光亨，贞吉。利涉大川。
With sincerity there is brilliant success. Perseverance brings good fortune. It furthers one to cross the great water.
Image
云上于天，需；君子以饮食宴乐。
Clouds rise up to heaven: the image of waiting. The noble person eats, drinks and is of good cheer—gathering strength.
Lines
- Line 1, yang (nine)
初九：需于郊，利用恒，无咎。
Waiting in the meadow; it furthers to abide in what endures. Danger is distant: keep your rhythm.
- Line 2, yang (nine)
九二：需于沙，小有言，终吉。
Waiting on the sand; there is some gossip—in the end, good fortune. Ignore minor noise.
- Line 3, yang (nine)
九三：需于泥，致寇至。
Waiting in the mud brings the arrival of the enemy. Lingering in a danger zone invites attack: cut losses or fortify.
- Line 4, yin (six)
六四：需于血，出自穴。
Waiting in blood; get out of the pit. You are already in danger—exit and preserve.
- Line 5, yang (nine)
九五：需于酒食，贞吉。
Waiting at meat and wine; perseverance brings good fortune. With resources secured, calm patience is strength.
- Line 6, yin (six)
上六：入于穴，有不速之客三人来，敬之终吉。
One falls into the pit; three uninvited guests arrive—honour them and in the end good fortune. Unexpected visitors (investors, regulators, rivals) treated with respect can turn a crisis.
In the enterprise
The hexagram of timing and patience: waiting periods in M&A, regulatory approvals, market windows, funding rhythm. Waiting is not passivity but gathering strength within confidence.
Psychological lens
Resonates with delay of gratification (Mischel) and 'action bias'—under uncertainty people act for the sake of acting; this hexagram legitimises strategic waiting.
Related hexagrams
38. 睽 Opposition
Lines 2–4 and 3–5: the hidden dynamics inside the situation.Opposite
35. 晋 Progress
Every line reversed: the shadow side and blind spots.Inverse
6. 讼 Conflict
The figure turned upside down: the counterpart's or stakeholder's view.King Wen pair
6. 讼 Conflict
Situations in the library that use this hexagram
- Wait or act? Enterprise, Judgment
- Pacing a large deal Enterprise, Line 5, yang (nine)
- Whether to make the first offer Enterprise, Line 1, yang (nine)
- Procrastination Individuals, Line 3, yang (nine)
- A career gap Individuals, Line 1, yang (nine)
- Office rumours Individuals, Line 2, yang (nine)
- Negotiating salary Individuals, Line 5, yang (nine)
- Chronic busyness Individuals, Judgment
- Pre-exam anxiety Individuals, Line 2, yang (nine)
- Writing procrastination Individuals, Line 3, yang (nine)
Situation readings are a reflective framework for discussion—not predictions and not a substitute for professional advice.