"Ge gua 93: Burn Bridges Before Revolution Succeeds? You’ll Lose Out Sooner or Later — Ge Hexagram Nine in the Third Place"

What’s the most common mistake people make when driving change?

It’s not picking the wrong direction, or bad timing. It’s alienating everyone with how you go about it.

You want change. You’re convinced change is necessary. You can’t wait to tear down the whole old way of doing things by tomorrow. You go around telling everyone “the current approach doesn’t work, you drag people into meetings to pitch your reform plan, and you think you’re saving everyone.

But the other side doesn’t see it that way. They think you’re dismissing every bit of work they’ve done in the past.

This is exactly the scenario described by the Nine in the Third Place (九三) of the Revolution (澤火革 / 革卦) Hexagram. The Line Text (爻辭 / Yao Ci) reads: 征凶，贞厉。革言三就，有孚。

Charging forward brings misfortune. Clinging rigidly to the status quo is also dangerous. What to do? "革言三就" — the change plan must be discussed, revised, and aligned through repeated rounds of discussion. "有孚 (Sincerity and Trust)" — carry this out with genuine sincerity.

Why "Charging Forward Brings Misfortune (征凶)

The Nine in the Third Place is the top line of the lower trigram. A Yang Line (陽爻) in a yang position, it is overly firm. It sits at the initial stage of change: ready to move, but stuck in a middle position — no support from above, and those below are still hesitant.

Pushing hard forward at this point brings misfortune.

Why? Because your plan hasn’t been fully discussed, your team isn’t aligned, and your approach may still have gaps. You think you see everything clearly, but others may not agree. If you force it, no one will follow — they’ll just push back.

Wen Laoshi put it sharply: the scariest thing about change isn’t failing to make it happen — it’s alienating everyone in the process.

If you alienate everyone, even if the change succeeds, no one will cooperate with you. The new system won’t hold up, and you’ve already smashed the old order. In the end, both sides collapse.

What "革言三就" Really Means

"革言" refers to the change plan and the messaging around the change. "三就" means settling on a decision after three rounds of discussion.

In classical Chinese, "three" is not an exact number — it means many times. The point is: don’t finalize your plan on a whim. Argue it out, revise it repeatedly, and communicate back and forth with key stakeholders until everyone feels “this works” — only then lock it in and execute.

Wen Laoshi shared a real example. A company CEO decided to reform the compensation system. He locked himself in his office for three days, drafted a plan, and announced its implementation at a meeting the very next day.

What happened? The sales team thought the new plan was unfair to them and collectively slacked off. The tech team said the changes were too big — the system would need a full overhaul, taking at least three months. The finance team said the new plan’s calculations were too complex to operate at all.

In the end, the plan was scrapped after less than a month. Not only did the reform fail, but it also left everyone on edge.

That’s the consequence of skipping "革言三就".

有孚 (Sincerity and Trust): The Foundation of Change Is Sincerity

The Line Text ends with two words: 有孚.

What does that mean? Change isn’t about playing tricks, wielding power, or seizing control while the moment is hot. You need genuine sincerity —

Your goal in pushing reform is to make the whole system better, not to prove how brilliant you are. When you adjust the plan, you’re truly listening to others’ feedback, not just going through the motions. When you roll out the change, you consider the interests of everyone affected, instead of imposing a one-size-fits-all rule.

Wen Laoshi says people can feel sincerity. Everyone knows deep down whether you’re really looking out for them or just looking out for yourself.

When someone with sincerity drives change, resistance gradually turns into support. When someone without sincerity drives change, even if the plan itself is solid, people will still throw obstacles in your way.

The Lesson of Nine in the Third Place: Slow Is Fast

The biggest takeaway from the Nine in the Third Place is: don’t rush change — aim for steadiness.

Every extra round of polishing your plan means one fewer pitfall during execution. Every extra person you align with means one less source of resistance when you push forward. Every extra layer of impact you consider means one less headache when you wrap things up.

Slow is fast.

One Final Thought

If you’re driving a change right now — whether at work, at home, or among your friends —

Don’t rush to announce it. First, think about how many people have vetted your plan, whether your sincerity is enough to move people, and how many people’s feelings you’ve taken into account.

The Nine in the Third Place of the Revolution Hexagram says: 征凶，贞厉。革言三就，有孚。

Rushing leads to trouble. Polish it over multiple rounds, build it on sincerity, and your change will go the distance.