Is Following Others Bad Judgment? Sui Hexagram: Right Mentor Brings Luck, Wrong One Disaster

Have you ever had moments like these?

You clearly have a different opinion in mind, but you nod along when you see everyone else saying the same thing.

You definitely feel something is wrong with the plan, but you go along with it once the boss has made the call.

You really don’t want to go to that dinner party, but you show up anyway for fear of being left out of the group.

Looking back afterward, you might feel a little disappointed in yourself: Why didn’t I just stand my ground?

But there’s a hexagram in the *I Ching (Book of Changes)* dedicated entirely to the idea of "following" — and it doesn’t take a critical stance on it.

That hexagram is Following (Dui / Zhen, 泽雷随).

1. The Image of the Following Hexagram: Thunder Beneath the Lake

The Following hexagram has Dui / The Joyous above and Zhen / The Arousing below. Dui is the lake, and Zhen is thunder.

Thunder hides beneath the surface of the lake. When thunder rumbles, the waters of the lake ripple in response.

The *Xiang Commentary (Images)* states: "Thunder within the lake — this is Following."

This image is fascinating: thunder is active, the lake is receptive. The lake moves in step with the thunder, but it never stops being a lake.

This is the true form of "following" — moving in sync with something else, without losing your own identity.

2. The Core of the Following Hexagram: Originating, Penetrating, Advantageous, Correct, No Blame

The Hexagram Judgment of the Following hexagram is one of the most favorable among all 64 Hexagrams:

"Following: Originating, Penetrating, Advantageous, Correct. No blame."

Originating, Penetrating, Advantageous, Correct — the four most auspicious terms are all present here.

No blame — there is no fault or error.

For a hexagram about "following," this is an extraordinarily high evaluation.

This shows the *I Ching* takes a positive view of "following." It does not see following as weakness; it sees the ability to follow well as a skill.

But this kind of "following" comes with a precondition. The commentary on the hexagram goes on to say:

"Great is the meaning of following in accordance with the time."

What you follow is the "time" — the current of the times — not a person.

Going along with the trend of the times is following. Tying your fate entirely to one person is mere dependence.

That is the critical difference.

3. The Six Lines of the Following Hexagram: A Complete Logic of Following

Nine at the Beginning: "The official has a change of stance. Perseverance brings good fortune. Going out to associate with others brings merit." — When your position shifts, staying true to what is right brings good fortune. Stepping out to engage with others will bring gains.

This line tells us: following starts with "stepping out." A closed-off person cannot truly follow, because they cannot see the changes happening outside.

Six in the Second Place: "Tied to the little fellow, you lose the great man." — If you cling to what is small and petty, you will miss out on what is greater.

This line is a warning: following requires trade-offs. If you choose a small, insular circle, you give up access to bigger possibilities.

Six in the Third Place: "Tied to the great man, you lose the little fellow." — If you hold fast to what is greater, you let go of what is small.

This line flips the idea: when you follow the right person, you have to let go of some old connections. That is the cost, and it is also necessary.

Nine in the Fourth Place: "Following brings gain, yet perseverance in this brings misfortune. With sincerity in the Way, keeping clarity, what blame is there?" — Following brings rewards, but clinging rigidly to that path will lead to danger. If you hold sincerity in your heart, walk the right path, and stay clear-headed, there will be no fault.

This is the most crucial line: the better you follow someone, the easier it is to be assimilated by them. If you spend too long around a strong-willed person, you will gradually lose your own judgment. That is why it says "keeping clarity" — you must stay awake and aware.

Nine in the Fifth Place: "Sincerity toward what is admirable brings good fortune." — Following what is good and right with a sincere heart is auspicious.

This is the best line of the Following hexagram: the object of your following is "what is admirable" — good, upright, and worthy — and your attitude is one of "sincerity." You do not follow for profit; you follow because you truly believe in it.

Six at the Top: "Bind him fast, then hold him fast with bonds. The king offers sacrifice on the western mountain." — Tie someone down tightly to force them to follow. The king performs a ritual on the western mountain.

This line takes following to an extreme: following turns into bondage. This is no longer following — it is control.

4. Three Standards for Judging "Following"

After reading through the six lines, we can distill three standards to judge whether your "following" is the right kind:

First: Are you following the "times" or a "person"?

Adjusting yourself when the tide of the times shifts is wisdom.

Doing whatever a certain person tells you to do is dependence.

The difference is this: the trend of the times is objective, while a person is subjective. If you follow objective laws, you will not go too far wrong. If you follow a single person, you will go completely wrong the moment they do.

Second: Do you still keep your own judgment while following?

The Nine in the Fourth Place says "keeping clarity" — stay clear-headed.

The test is simple: can you explain your own reasons for following? If all you can say is "everyone else is doing it" or "they told me to," then you are not following anymore — you are being swept along.

Third: Does this "following" make you stronger or weaker?

Good following lets you learn new things, broaden your horizons, and gain access to resources.

Bad following makes you more and more dependent, less and less willing to make your own decisions, and increasingly lacking in confidence.

5. Real-World Scenarios for the Following Hexagram

Career: Having a boss who is capable and has a broad vision is a stroke of luck. Working under such a leader will help you grow quickly. But if you follow someone who only squeezes value out of you and gives you no room to grow, the longer you stay, the harder it will be to leave.

Test question: What kind of person will you be three years from now?

Love: The Following hexagram speaks of "mutual following." In a good relationship, both people are willing to adjust for each other, but neither loses themselves. If only one person is doing all the following, that is not a relationship — it is exhaustion.

Social circles: The Six in the Second Place says, "Tied to the little fellow, you lose the great man." If you get too comfortable in a small, closed circle, you will lose the chance to discover a much bigger world.

The times: This is the easiest layer to overlook. Industries are changing, rules are changing, tools are changing — if you do not change with them, you will be left behind. This is not "having no principles"; this is "understanding the times."

6. When You Should NOT Follow

Although the Following hexagram has a very positive evaluation, the *I Ching* also sets out its limits:

First, when your bottom line is at stake. Just because everyone is doing something does not make it right.

Second, when you know more about the matter than the other person. Following in this case is a waste of your ability. You should speak up when it is your turn to contribute.

Third, when following makes you lose your ability to be independent. The moment you realize you "can’t get anything done without them," you should be on alert.

Fourth, when the other person is leading you downhill. The Six at the Top — "bind him fast" — describes exactly this state: you are tied down and can no longer walk your own path.

7. The Deepest Line of the Following Hexagram

"Great is the meaning of following in accordance with the time."

The phrase "following the time" is the very core of the Following hexagram.

It does not mean "being casual" or "going with the crowd." It means "moving in step with the trend of the times."

What is the trend of the times? It is the objective law of how things develop.

Those who understand these laws and follow them get twice the result with half the effort.

Those who do not understand the laws just follow other people — and the moment those people change course, they are lost.

Final Thoughts

The wisdom of the Following hexagram is that it turns "following" from a sign of weakness into a conscious choice.

Following the right person is luck. Following the right trend of the times is skill.

And most importantly, throughout the entire process of following, you always know exactly why you are following.