履
10. Treading
lǚ; Conduct
Judgment
履：履虎尾，不咥人，亨。
Treading on the tail of the tiger. It does not bite. Success—through propriety and measure in dangerous company.
Image
上天下泽，履；君子以辨上下，定民志。
Heaven above, the lake below: the image of treading. The noble person discriminates between high and low, and thereby fortifies the minds of the people.
Lines
- Line 1, yang (nine)
初九：素履，往无咎。
Simple conduct. Progress without blame. Stay true to your plain nature.
- Line 2, yang (nine)
九二：履道坦坦，幽人贞吉。
Treading a smooth, level course; the perseverance of a quiet person brings good fortune. Independent judgement undisturbed by noise.
- Line 3, yin (six)
六三：眇能视，跛能履，履虎尾，咥人，凶。武人为于大君。
A one-eyed man is able to see, a lame man able to tread; he treads on the tiger's tail—it bites. Misfortune. Overestimating oneself in danger fails.
- Line 4, yang (nine)
九四：履虎尾，愬愬，终吉。
He treads on the tiger's tail, with caution and circumspection: in the end good fortune. Near powerful players, keep reverent vigilance.
- Line 5, yang (nine)
九五：夬履，贞厉。
Resolute conduct; perseverance with awareness of danger. Decisiveness with power needs checks.
- Line 6, yang (nine)
上九：视履考祥，其旋元吉。
Look to your conduct and weigh the favourable signs; when everything is fulfilled, supreme good fortune. Retrospectives create real growth.
In the enterprise
How to act in the presence of powerful stakeholders—key clients, regulators, dominant shareholders, demanding superiors. For compliance, etiquette, cross-cultural business. The top line is the culture of the retrospective.
Psychological lens
Resonates with the Dunning–Kruger effect (line 3) and after-action reviews; cautious vigilance (line 4) mirrors the Yerkes–Dodson law—moderate arousal improves performance.
Related hexagrams
37. 家人 The Family
Lines 2–4 and 3–5: the hidden dynamics inside the situation.Opposite
15. 谦 Modesty
Every line reversed: the shadow side and blind spots.Inverse
9. 小畜 The Taming Power of the Small
The figure turned upside down: the counterpart's or stakeholder's view.King Wen pair
9. 小畜 The Taming Power of the Small
Situations in the library that use this hexagram
- Chinese firms meeting EU compliance and ESG thresholds Enterprise, Line 4, yang (nine)
- Flatten or keep hierarchy? Enterprise, Judgment
- Project post-mortems Enterprise, Line 6, yang (nine)
- A dominant counterpart pushing hard Enterprise, Judgment
- Guanxi and European compliance Enterprise, Line 2, yang (nine)
- Setting the risk appetite Enterprise, Line 5, yang (nine)
- Overconfidence Individuals, Line 3, yin (six)
- Choosing a simpler life Individuals, Line 1, yang (nine)
- Large company or small company? Individuals, Line 2, yang (nine)
- Managing upward Individuals, Line 4, yang (nine)
Situation readings are a reflective framework for discussion—not predictions and not a substitute for professional advice.