What’s Your First Reaction to a Sudden Emergency? Zhen Hexagram First Line (初九): Don’t Be Scattered by Thunder

Your phone buzzes out of nowhere in the middle of the night.

You pick it up, and one message makes your mind go blank with a jolt. It might be bad news from work, a sudden emergency at home, or that thing you’ve been dreading finally coming true.

Your heart races, your palms sweat, and your head goes completely empty.

Wen Laoshi says this reaction is totally normal. This is exactly the moment described by the First Line of *Zhen / The Arousing*.

Line Text of the Nine at the Beginning: 震来虩虩，后笑言哑哑，吉 (When thunder comes, one trembles with fear; later one laughs and talks cheerfully. Good fortune.)

"Xixi" (虩虩) describes a state of fear — when thunder rolls in, you jump out of your skin. "Later one laughs and talks cheerfully" — after that, you calm down and can carry on with ease and good humor. It is auspicious.

This process of "fear first, laughter later" is what the Nine at the Beginning of *The Arousing* Hexagram wants to tell you.

Fear Is Nothing to Be Ashamed Of

Wen Laoshi says a lot of people think you should stay completely calm and unshaken when things go wrong. If you can’t, you feel like you’re not good enough.

That’s not true.

The first lesson from the Nine at the Beginning of *The Arousing* is: fear is normal.

"When thunder comes, one trembles with fear" — when thunder strikes, you get scared. That’s not cowardice; that’s your instinct protecting you. When people face a sudden shock out of the blue, the body’s first reaction is fear. That fear jolts you awake, focuses your attention, and makes you quickly mobilize resources to deal with the situation.

Fear itself isn’t the problem. The problem is what you do after you’re scared.

Some people panic after being afraid, and when they panic, they lose their heads and do stupid things. Others can adjust quickly after the fear passes, calm down, and even find their sense of humor again.

The latter is what "later one laughs and talks cheerfully" means.

The Situation of the Nine at the Beginning: The First One Hit

The Nine at the Beginning is the bottom line of *The Arousing* Hexagram. It is a Yang Line in a Yang position, so it is in proper position.

What does its position mean? It’s the first clap of thunder in the hexagram. It feels the tremor first, and takes the first hit.

Wen Laoshi says that’s often how sudden life events go — no warning, no buffer, no preparation. The first clap of thunder lands right on your head.

The company suddenly lays people off, and you’re the first one called in for a talk. The industry suddenly changes its policies, and your business is the first to be affected. You think your relationship is rock-solid, and out of nowhere the other person says, "Let’s break up."

You’re that "Nine at the Beginning" — the first one struck by thunder.

The Key From Trembling Fear to Cheerful Laughter

Wen Laoshi says the key between "fear" and "laughing and talking easily" comes down to one thing: whether you can hold on to a sliver of clarity even while you’re scared.

What’s a sliver of clarity? It means even though you’re panicking, your brain hasn’t completely shut down. You’re still thinking, "What do I do next?" You’re scared, but you’re not consumed by the fear.

Where does that "sliver of clarity" come from? From daily self-cultivation and reflection.

The *Xiang Commentary* on *The Arousing* says: The Junzi (Superior Person) cultivates himself and examines his conduct through fear and trembling.

What does that mean? It means you stay vigilant on a regular basis, often reflecting on yourself, checking in with yourself, and preparing yourself. It’s not about being anxious every day — it’s about having a clear head: knowing what might go wrong, having a rough idea of how to handle it if it does, and knowing where your bottom line is.

People with this foundation will still feel afraid when a sudden crisis hits, but they can recover quickly after the fear passes. Because they have a contingency plan in their head — not a perfect one, but at least they have one.

People without this foundation are truly lost after the fear hits. Because they’re completely unprepared, they don’t know what to do and can only panic where they stand.

How to Go From Trembling Fear to Cheerful Laughter

Wen Laoshi has three pieces of advice.

First, think through "what if" scenarios more often in daily life. This isn’t about making yourself anxious — it’s about having a plan. What would you do if your project got cut off suddenly? What if your partner bailed out of the blue? What if your income stopped for three months? If you’ve thought about these things, you won’t be completely stunned when they happen.

Second, don’t act right away when something happens. Wen Laoshi says when a sudden event hits, your first reaction shouldn’t be "I need to do something right now" — it should be "I’ll hold still first." If you don’t act impulsively, you won’t make reckless mistakes. Wait until you’ve calmed down and thought things through, then act. It won’t be too late.

Third, allow yourself to be scared. Don’t force yourself to "stay calm." The more you push yourself, the more panicked you’ll get. Just admit, "I’m scared," and give yourself a few minutes to process it. Once you’ve processed it, get on with what you need to do.

What the Nine at the Beginning of *The Arousing* Wants You to Know in the End

The Nine at the Beginning of *The Arousing* tells you: when thunder comes, it’s okay to be scared — don’t fight yourself over it.

But after the fear passes, you have to be able to get back up.

"Laughing and talking cheerfully" doesn’t mean you don’t care. It means after you’ve cared deeply, after you’ve been afraid, after you’ve borne the weight of it all, you can still face it with a smile.

This ability isn’t something you’re born with — it’s practiced.

Cultivate and reflect on yourself regularly, act less impulsively when things happen, and be able to stand back up after being scared. Do these three things, and you’ll be the person who "trembles with fear when thunder comes, then later laughs and talks cheerfully."

Good fortune.