Hexagram 15: Modesty

A modern reading

A mountain lies within the earth, placing height inside a larger containing ground. The Image makes modesty an action upon unevenness: reduce excess, supply scarcity, and measure what is being distributed. This gives the quality a material expression. In a present situation, you can look at how time, attention, and credit are allocated. Some parts of an undertaking may have accumulated more than they need while another essential part remains short of support.

The Judgment links modesty with bringing an undertaking to completion. Work can be followed through when its parts receive a proportion that lets them function together. A contemporary reflection might examine whether your account of a situation gives enough space to other people's contributions and to the limits of your own knowledge. Accurate proportions can help you accept useful correction, distribute responsibility, and finish work whose demands extend beyond what one person can carry.