Why Do Steady, Hardworking People Go Further in the Long Run? — Kun Hexagram Second Yin Line "Zhi Fang Da" Core Character Insight

The second line (Six in the Second Place) of the Kun / The Receptive hexagram speaks of the simplest yet most powerful foundation of being a person: the three qualities of "straight, square, great" — the idea of "generous virtue that carries all things" originates right here.

A while back, I had dinner with a friend who works in HR.

She has been at a fairly large company for nearly ten years and has met countless people. I said, "You’ve seen so many people — can you sum up what kind of person ends up going the farthest?"

She thought for a moment and said, "Not the smartest ones, and not the ones who are best at schmoozing."

I said, "Then what kind?"

She said, "The ones with a 'solid, upright core'."

I asked what that meant.

She said, "It means when you deal with them, you don’t have to watch your back. They won’t stab you in the back, steal your credit, or act one way to your face and another behind it. They have their own principles for doing things, and they’re the same whether anyone’s watching or not. People like this might not stand out when they first join the company, and they don’t get promoted fast. But as time goes on, you realize they’re still there — and they’re getting more and more steady. The ones who were all flash at the start? They’re long gone, nowhere to be found."

I laughed when she finished and said, "What you’re describing is exactly the Six in the Second Place of the Kun hexagram, isn’t it?"

She said, "The what hexagram?"

I said, "The second line of the Kun hexagram. Its line text has six characters: straight, square, great — without striving, nothing is unfavorable."

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Straight, Square, Great: Three Weighty Words

The Six in the Second Place is the best line in the Kun hexagram. Why? Because it is in proper position, in the central position, and upright.

A yin line sits in a yin position — its place is correct. It is in the middle of the lower trigram, neither overdoing nor falling short — it holds the center. Being both central and correct, it is the finest line of the hexagram.

The line text reads: "直，方，大，不习无不利" (Straight, square, great. Without striving, nothing is unfavorable).

Three words: straight, square, great. Plus one more line: you don’t have to deliberately learn anything, and nothing you do will be unfavorable.

That sounds a bit mystical, right? If you don’t have to learn anything and things still go well, wouldn’t that just make people lazy?

That’s not it. "Without striving" doesn’t mean not learning at all — it means you don’t have to deliberately learn all those tricks, those manipulative techniques, those underhanded schemes. Because you are inherently straight, square, and great — those three qualities are enough. With them, you can go anywhere and thrive.

Let’s break down each character one by one.

Zhi (直) — Straight, meaning upright integrity.

What you think in your heart matches what comes out of your mouth, and what you say matches what you do with your hands. No beating around the bush, no passive-aggressive remarks, no double-dealing.

You might say, in today’s society, isn’t being too upright just asking to be taken advantage of?

In the short term, you might really get the short end of the stick. People use a little cleverness and climb up fast, while you’re honest and steady, and end up getting pushed aside. But look at the long run, and people with integrity go farther. Why? Because everyone knows the score. Given enough time, people can see exactly what someone is really like.

When you’re upright, others trust you. Trust is something you can’t see day to day, but when it matters most, it’s more useful than anything else.

Fang (方) — Square, meaning having principles.

You have a clear sense of what you will and won’t do. It’s not just about "being a good person" — it’s about having your own bottom line.

For example: don’t take money you’re not entitled to, don’t say things you shouldn’t say, don’t step on other people to get ahead. These things sound easy, but when real利益 is on the line, not many people can hold the line.

But you have to know: every choice you make paves the road of your own life. Every time you stick to your principles, your road gets a little wider. Every time you cross your bottom line, your road narrows by an inch.

Over time, people with wide roads have smoother and smoother journeys, while people with narrow roads find themselves with nowhere left to go.

Da (大) — Great, meaning having a big-picture mindset.

You don’t fixate on small gains and losses right in front of you, and you don’t fight over trivial benefits with others. When you see others doing well, you don’t feel jealous. When you lose out on something, you don’t complain.

A big-picture mindset isn’t something you’re born with — it’s stretched open by the grievances you’ve endured. But you have to be willing to let it stretch. Some people hold a single grudge for a lifetime and bring it up every day — their mindset will never grow.

People with a big-picture mindset haven’t never been wronged — they just keep moving forward after they’ve been hurt. They know that moving forward is far more important than dwelling on the past.

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What Does "Without Striving, Nothing Is Unfavorable" Mean?

Many people misunderstand the phrase "不习无不利" (Without striving, nothing is unfavorable).

They think it means you don’t have to study or learn anything and you’ll be fine. Isn’t that just leading people astray?

That’s not it. The "xi" (习) here doesn’t mean "study" in the sense of learning skills — it means "to be tainted by" — picking up bad habits, manipulative tricks, and all that empty, flashy nonsense.

Why don’t you need to learn those things? Because you already have straight, square, and great within you — that’s all you need. If you learn all that messy, underhanded stuff, you’ll just tarnish the good qualities you already have.

I’ve seen so many people who started out with a solid, good core, but once they entered the working world, they picked up a whole set of so-called "survival skills" — how to flatter bosses, how to shift blame, how to steal credit, how to climb over other people to get ahead.

Learning those things might seem to give you a little edge in the short term. But have you ever thought: while you’re learning all that, you’re throwing away the most valuable thing you have?

What’s your most valuable thing? Your integrity, your principles, your big-picture mindset. Lose those, and even if you climb up the ladder, you won’t be able to stay there.

Wen Laoshi often says that the I Ching (Book of Changes) doesn’t teach you how to take advantage of others — it teaches you how to avoid taking wrong turns. A lot of people think taking shortcuts is faster, but shortcuts are actually the longest road of all.

When you take the main road, it looks slow, but every step is solid — you walk steadily and go far. When you take the side paths, they look fast, but the sides are full of pits, and one misstep and you’ll fall right in.

"Without striving, nothing is unfavorable" is telling you this: walking the honest, steady main road is better than learning any crooked, underhanded tricks.

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How to Apply "Straight, Square, Great" in the Workplace

We’ve talked about the principles a lot — but in real life, how do you actually put them into practice?

I have three actionable tips for you.

First: speak straight, but don’t hurt people.

Being upright doesn’t mean saying whatever pops into your head with no filter. Being straight in your heart is about earning other people’s trust, not about offending everyone around you.

How do you speak straight without hurting people?

One simple rule: state facts, don’t make judgments.

For example, if a colleague’s proposal has issues, don’t say "Your proposal is terrible" — that’s a judgment. Say "I looked it over, and the data here seems a bit off — would you want to double-check it?" — that’s a fact.

Both ways point out a problem, but people will thank you for stating facts, and resent you for making judgments.

Second: act with principle, but don’t be rigid.

Having principles doesn’t mean being stubborn, or following every rule to the letter with no flexibility at all.

Principles are your bottom line, not a cage. Above the bottom line, you can be flexible. Below the bottom line, you don’t budge an inch.

For example, company rules say you can’t accept gifts from clients — that’s the bottom line, you can’t break it. But if a client sends you a box of local specialties from their hometown for the Lunar New Year, something that’s not worth much, sending it back would just feel cold and distant. So you accept it, and then send a small gift from your company back in return. That’s what it means to have principles without being stiff.

Third: have a big-picture mindset, but don’t be a doormat.

Having a big-picture mindset doesn’t mean you let everything slide, or that you just take it when people bully you. That’s not a big mindset — that’s just being a pushover.

A big-picture mindset means: don’t sweat the small stuff, but don’t be confused when it comes to big things.

If a colleague takes credit for your work, you can just note it and move on — no need to blow up at them right then and there. But if someone tries to ruin your reputation or go after your core interests, you have to fight back when you need to.

Having a big-picture mindset means you *choose* not to stoop to their level — not that you’re incapable of standing up for yourself.

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A Few Final Words

My HR friend told me one more thing.

She said there’s a long-time employee at her company who’s been there nearly twenty years, working his way up from an entry-level role all the way to director. In terms of ability, he’s not the strongest. In terms of emotional intelligence, he’s not the highest. But everyone respects him.

Why? Because after all these years, no one’s ever heard him badmouth anyone behind their back, no one’s ever seen him steal someone else’s credit, and no one’s ever caught him doing anything underhanded.

She said people like him are the ballast of the company. No matter how much the company changes, you can’t touch people like that. If you do, the whole team’s morale falls apart.

You see? That’s the power of straight, square, great.

It won’t make you rich overnight. It won’t get you promoted super fast. It won’t make you the most dazzling person in the room.

But it will let you walk steadily, walk far, and walk with peace of mind.

Times change, and methods get simpler and simpler. But one thing has never changed — in the end, what it all comes down to is character.

Character isn’t just an empty saying. It’s those three words: straight, square, great.

Straight is the scale in your heart. Square is the line beneath your feet. Great is the sky above your head.

Hold on to those three things, and your life will turn out just fine.