咸
31. Influence
xián; Attraction
Judgment
咸：亨，利贞，取女吉。
Success. Perseverance furthers. To take a maiden to wife brings good fortune. Mutual resonance and attraction.
Image
山上有泽，咸；君子以虚受人。
A lake on the mountain: the image of influence. The noble person encourages people to approach by readiness to receive them.
Lines
- Line 1, yin (six)
初六：咸其拇。
The influence shows itself in the big toe. Motivation stirs, not yet formed.
- Line 2, yin (six)
六二：咸其腓，凶，居吉。
The influence shows itself in the calves of the legs: misfortune; tarrying brings good fortune. Don't act on impulse.
- Line 3, yang (nine)
九三：咸其股，执其随，往吝。
The influence shows itself in the thighs; holds to that which follows it. To continue is humiliating. Following without a mind of one's own.
- Line 4, yang (nine)
九四：贞吉悔亡，憧憧往来，朋从尔思。
Perseverance brings good fortune; remorse disappears. If a man's mind is agitated, and his thoughts go hither and thither, only those friends on whom he fixes his conscious thoughts will follow. Over-calculation shrinks influence.
- Line 5, yang (nine)
九五：咸其脢，无悔。
The influence shows itself in the back of the neck: no remorse. Deep, steady resonance unmoved by surfaces.
- Line 6, yin (six)
上六：咸其辅颊舌。
The influence shows itself in the jaws, cheeks and tongue. Influence that stays at the level of talk lacks substance.
In the enterprise
The hexagram of influence, attraction and customer resonance: consumer insight, emotional brand connection, talent attraction, building partnerships. 'Readiness to receive': real influence begins with listening and openness.
Psychological lens
Resonates with empathy and the similarity–attraction effect; the agitated mind of line 4 is rumination and over-thinking, line 6 is empty talk and say–do gaps.
Related hexagrams
44. 姤 Coming to Meet
Lines 2–4 and 3–5: the hidden dynamics inside the situation.Opposite
41. 损 Decrease
Every line reversed: the shadow side and blind spots.Inverse
32. 恒 Duration
The figure turned upside down: the counterpart's or stakeholder's view.King Wen pair
32. 恒 Duration
Situations in the library that use this hexagram
- Critical roles we cannot fill Enterprise, Judgment
- Deepening B2B relationships Enterprise, Line 5, yang (nine)
- Values that live only on the wall Enterprise, Line 6, yin (six)
- Thoughts going round and round Individuals, Line 4, yang (nine)
- Whether to begin a relationship Individuals, Judgment
- An ambiguous connection Individuals, Line 1, yin (six)
- Love at first sight Individuals, Line 2, yin (six)
- Online contacts vs. real relationships Individuals, Line 6, yin (six)
- Blindly following tips Individuals, Line 3, yang (nine)
- Translation and cross-language expression Individuals, Line 5, yang (nine)
Situation readings are a reflective framework for discussion—not predictions and not a substitute for professional advice.