The Power of the Great First Line: "Hidden Dragon, Do Not Act"? No—This Line Cools Your Overambition Fast

I don’t know if you’ve seen this before —

Some young people,

just three months into a new job,

already think they know everything.

They talk back to their bosses,

complain that veteran employees work too slow,

and act like they’re the best in the whole department.

Or they finish one small project

and get so cocky they’re walking on air.

They strut around with a swagger,

even their tone of voice changes,

like the whole company

would fall apart without them.

And what happens?

They crash and burn real fast.

Not because they lack ability,

but because they get ahead of themselves way too soon.

The first line of *The Power of the Great* (大壮卦) hexagram in the I Ching (Book of Changes)

describes exactly this kind of situation.

The First Line of *The Power of the Great* is the starting point of the entire hexagram:

Yang energy has just barely emerged,

it has some strength but sits in the lowest position.

The Line Text (Yao Ci) says: 「壮于趾，征凶，有孚。」 (Strong in the toes; advancing brings misfortune; there is sincerity and trust.)

It sounds simple,

but it lays bare every pitfall that new employees are most likely to fall into.

Strength in your toes isn’t real strength

The Nine at the Beginning (初九) is the bottommost line of *The Power of the Great* hexagram,

a Yang Line (solid —) in a Yang position.

Its position is very low,

but it has no small amount of energy.

The Line Text says “壮于趾” —

strength in the toes.

What does that mean?

It means you only have strength at the very bottom,

only as much power as the tip of your foot.

You think you’re really strong,

but really, only your toes are strong.

This metaphor is so vivid.

Think about it —

when a person first gains a little strength,

where do they feel it first?

In their feet.

Once their feet feel strong,

they want to run, to jump,

to charge forward.

But here’s the problem:

strong feet alone don’t count for much.

Do your legs have strength?

Does your core have strength?

Do you have anything going on upstairs?

None of that has caught up yet,

and you want to run just because your feet feel strong?

Of course you’re going to trip and fall.

There are so many people like this in the workplace.

They learn one Excel function

and think they’re a data wizard;

they close one small deal

and think they’re a sales genius;

they get promoted to team lead

and think they’re a born leader.

Put plainly,

their toes have just barely gained a little strength,

and they think their whole body is strong.

They haven’t even found their footing yet,

and they already want to run.

This is the biggest taboo at the position of the First Line of *The Power of the Great* —

your feet haven’t landed yet, but your mind is already flying.

Why does advancing bring misfortune? Charge too soon and you’ll hit a wall

The two characters “征凶” (advancing brings misfortune)

are a direct wake-up call —

charging forward at this point will lead to danger.

Why is it dangerous?

Because the Nine at the Beginning is in too low a position,

its foundations are too shallow.

You only see the tiny patch of ground right in front of you;

you have no idea what lies ahead.

You think you’re so great,

but really, you just haven’t met enough talented people;

you think this task is easy,

but really, you just haven’t seen how hard things can get;

you think an opportunity has come your way,

but it might actually be a trap waiting for you.

For example:

a new hire joins a company,

puts up some decent numbers in three months,

gets a couple compliments from the boss,

and suddenly thinks they’ve got it all figured out.

They start making demands to management,

picking fights with senior staff,

and showing off their achievements everywhere.

And what happens?

Either they mess up the next project and get exposed;

or they offend the wrong people and get sidelined;

or their ego gets so big

they can’t handle even the smallest setback,

and end up leaving with their tail between their legs.

Why is advancing misfortune? The misfortune comes from lack of self-awareness.

You don’t know your own limits,

you don’t know how high the sky is or how thick the earth is,

you treat three parts of skill as if it were ten —

and you’re bound to trip and fall in the end.

The two words “有孚” (sincerity and trust) are a new hire’s lucky charm

So what should you do at the Nine at the Beginning stage?

The last two words of the Line Text are: 有孚 (Sincerity and Trust).

Stay honest and sincere.

What does 有孚 mean?

It means you need to have a clear head,

be genuine, be down-to-earth,

and know who you really are.

Don’t lose your bearings

the second you have a tiny bit of success.

What does a person with 有孚 look like?

When they accomplish something,

they know exactly how much of it was their own effort,

how much came from the platform they’re on,

and how much was just luck.

They don’t take credit for others’ work,

and they don’t get cocky.

When things don’t go well,

they don’t panic either —

they work steadily,

building up experience little by little.

They know their place,

and they know their direction.

They don’t compare themselves to others;

they compare themselves to who they were yesterday.

Wen Laoshi often says,

it’s good for young people to have drive,

but that drive needs to be channeled the right way.

Put it into doing good work, and it’s called ambition;

put it into throwing your weight around, and it’s called childishness.

A lot of people get this backwards:

they use their drive to put on airs,

to pick fights with people,

to prove how great they are.

They end up getting hardly any real work done,

but their temper gets way worse.

That’s what it means to lack “孚” (sincerity/trust).

When you’re not grounded on the inside,

you need external things to prop you up.

People who truly have 有孚

don’t need to prove anything —

their work speaks for itself,

and everyone can see it.

Three things people at the Nine at the Beginning stage should focus on most

The Nine at the Beginning stage of *The Power of the Great*

is, put simply,

the stage of “having drive but no foundations.”

The most important thing at this stage isn’t charging forward —

it’s building a solid base.

First: Know your place.

You’re only the Nine at the Beginning,

you’re at the very bottom.

There are five more lines above you —

plenty of people with more experience, more seniority,

and more skill than you.

Don’t think you’re all that.

That “skill” of yours

might just be beginner level in other people’s eyes.

Knowing your place isn’t putting yourself down —

it’s being realistic.

Only when you know your current level

and how far you have to go

will you know where to put your effort.

Second: Put your energy into real work.

“壮于趾” — your feet have strength,

so use them to walk forward,

not to kick people.

Put that energy into learning skills,

into building experience,

into doing the work in front of you well.

Don’t waste your time

comparing yourself to others or picking fights.

What are you even competing with senior employees for?

Can ten years of their experience

ever match one year of yours?

And even if you “win”?

You win a petty argument,

but you lose your whole future.

Third: Hold onto sincerity as your foundation.

有孚 (Sincerity and Trust) is the only lifeline for the Nine at the Beginning.

It’s okay if your skills aren’t enough yet,

it’s okay if you don’t have much experience —

as long as you’re reliable and steady in your work,

people will be willing to guide you, to teach you.

If you get cocky, restless,

and start talking nonsense,

who’s going to bother with you?

At the end of the day, the workplace doesn’t reward how smart you are —

it rewards how reliable you are.

There are plenty of smart people,

but far too few reliable ones.

If you’re a reliable new hire,

opportunities will come to you on their own.

Final thoughts

This First Line of *The Power of the Great*

is especially fitting for

young people just entering the workforce,

and for anyone who’s started getting cocky

after just a little bit of success.

The advice this first line gives you is this —

don’t rush.

Get your feet under you first.

壮于趾，征凶，有孚。(Strong in the toes; advancing brings misfortune; there is sincerity and trust.)

Strong feet are a good thing,

but don’t rush to charge forward.

Get your footing first.

First figure out just how much strength you really have,

and first figure out whether the road ahead is actually easy to walk.

Having drive isn’t a bad thing,

but you have to use it in the right places.

Use it to grow,

to build up your skills,

to make yourself stronger.

When you’re truly strong,

there will still be time to charge forward.

The scariest thing is

when your toes have just barely gained a little strength,

and you already think you’re the best under heaven.

Because when you finally fall,

you’re the one who’s going to get hurt.