Dui Hexagram First Line: The Simplest Joy Lasts Longest — Connect with Others Without Agenda

The first line of the Dui (The Joyous) hexagram is the Nine at the Beginning, and its Line Text consists of just two characters:

「和兑，吉。」 (Harmonious joy brings good fortune.)

"He Dui (和兑)" means interacting and finding joy in a calm, harmonious way. "Ji (吉)" means a favorable outcome.

With just two characters, it perfectly captures the very best starting point for happiness.

1. The "He (Harmony)" in "He Dui"

"He (harmony)" is not the same as "he (union)". "Union" means being grouped together, bound by shared interests. "Harmony" means peace, balance, and a natural, comfortable dynamic when spending time with others.

What does the joy of "He Dui" feel like?

When you chat with someone, you’re not asking them for a favor, not trying to get something out of them, not showing off. You just feel like talking, and they feel the same way — and after the conversation, both of you feel at ease.

This kind of joy isn’t thrilling or exhilarating, but it lasts a very long time. Because it’s pure.

2. The Position of the Nine at the Beginning

The Nine at the Beginning is the bottommost line of the Dui hexagram: a Yang Line in a yang position, properly placed. It doesn’t carry the complicated relationships, tangled interests, or difficult choices of the lines above it. It represents the most original state — someone just stepping into a social setting, with no hidden agendas, no calculations, no manipulative tricks.

Wen Laoshi says the Nine at the Beginning is the best state of all. Because when we first start out, our sense of joy is at its purest.

What made you happy as a kid? Playing, running, and messing around with your friends. No interests at stake, no ulterior motives, no calculations of "what can I get out of this relationship?"

That kind of joy is exactly "He Dui".

3. Why "Harmony" Is the Hardest Thing

You might say: What’s so hard about that? It’s just normal human interaction, right?

But it’s precisely this "normal" that’s getting harder and harder these days.

When you eat with a coworker, you’re mentally tallying who will take which side in the afternoon meeting.

When you post on social media, you’re waiting to see who likes it and who doesn’t.

When you ask someone out, you’re wondering if you can ask them for a favor related to something on your mind.

When was the last time you spent time with someone without a single thought running through your head? When was the last time you smiled without putting on a show for anyone?

The difficulty of "He Dui" isn’t that you don’t know it’s good — it’s that it’s so hard to actually live out.

4. What Situations Match the Nine at the Beginning of Dui

You’ve known a friend for five years, and you’ve never talked about business interests or asked each other for favors. You meet up occasionally for a meal and a chat, then go your separate ways feeling grounded and content. That is "He Dui".

You join a new team, and instead of rushing to pick sides or show off, you quietly do your work well and treat people kindly. After a while, you notice everyone is happy to collaborate with you. That is also "He Dui" — when you treat people without ulterior motives, they feel it and respond naturally.

You run a brand or build a product, and instead of fixating on "how to get users to pay up", you focus on "how to make users feel valued". When users feel your sincerity, they naturally want to stay. That, too, is "He Dui".

5. The Lessons of "He Dui"

First, joy doesn’t need to be engineered. When you’re with people, stop constantly thinking "what can I get out of this relationship?" Let go of that thought first, and you’ll find a lot of joy appears on its own.

Second, relationships without ulterior motives last the longest. When an interaction has a goal, the relationship ends as soon as the goal is met — or fails to be met. Interactions with no agenda, on the other hand, can go a very long way.

Third, "harmony" is a skill. It’s not something you achieve just by having a nice personality. "Harmony" means making others feel comfortable without compromising your own well-being. It requires tact, empathy, and a genuine care for how the other person feels.

Final Thoughts

「和兑，吉。」 (Harmonious joy brings good fortune.)

Two characters, clean and simple.

Wen Laoshi says the Nine at the Beginning of Dui offers a reminder to everyone: the simpler the starting point of your joy, the further it will take you.

You don’t need to make a lot of money to be happy. You don’t need to climb to a high position to be happy. You don’t need crowds of people around you to be happy. All you need is — when you’re with someone — to smile once, with no agenda at all.

That kind of smile is "He Dui".