YiMatrix · Academy Journal
Are You Currently in the Hexagram of Meng? The Ancients Used One Hexagram to Explain the 6 Predicaments of "Not Knowing What You Don't Know"
In 1999, two psychologists from Cornell University, David Dunning and Justin Kruger, conducted a chilling experiment: in tests of humor, logical reasoning, and English grammar, the
Have you ever had a moment like this—
A situation is right in front of you, everyone else can see you're stuck, but you alone think, "I'm fine; it's others who don't understand."
Years later, looking back, you realize how foolish you were.
Psychology calls this the "Dunning-Kruger effect." In 1999, two psychologists from Cornell University, David Dunning and Justin Kruger, conducted a chilling experiment: in tests of humor, logical reasoning, and English grammar, the lowest-scoring participants overestimated their ranking by 46 percentage points—those who actually ranked in the bottom 25% generally believed they were in the top 50%.
The less capable people are, the less they realize their incompetence.
But this was thoroughly explained three thousand years ago in the I Ching.
Hexagram 4, Meng (Youthful Ignorance).
A spring emerges from the foot of a mountain; the water has not yet formed a river, and its direction is unclear—this is "Meng." The ancients not only named this state but also divided it into 6 predicaments, each with a way out.
Below are 6 stories from the real-life divination records of Takashima Kankō, the "Sage of the I Ching" in Japan.
What is the Hexagram of Meng?
The image of the Meng hexagram is mountain above water. The mountain is Gen, the water is Kan. A spring gushes from the foot of the mountain, but it hasn't yet formed a river, and its flow is unclear—this is the picture of "Meng."
All things at their birth must pass through this stage.
The most famous line in the hexagram statement is these eight characters:
Fei wo qiu tong meng, tong meng qiu wo.
It is not I who seek the young and ignorant; the young and ignorant seek me.
Then it adds:
Chu shi gao, zai san du, du ze bu gao.
On the first divination, I give an answer; if they ask repeatedly, it is disrespectful, and I give no answer.
Note that "du" here means disrespect or irreverence, not "reading." One sincere inquiry is worth ten half-hearted interruptions.
The Great Image says: "The superior man, with resolute action, nurtures his virtue." Use decisive and resolute actions to cultivate virtue.
The initiative for enlightenment never lies with the teacher, but with whether the student is willing to seek.
This is the general principle of the Meng hexagram. The following 6 stories illustrate 6 different ways of seeking or not seeking.
1. First Yin: Fa Meng Li Yong Xing Ren—Awakening Through a Blow
Fa meng, li yong xing ren, yong shuo zhi gu. Yi wang, lin.
At the beginning of enlightenment, establish rules and give a deterrent; but after the deterrent, you must "yong shuo zhi gu"—remove the shackles and let them walk on their own; you cannot rely on beating forever.
On the winter solstice of the 27th year of Meiji, Takashima Kankō divined the national situation for the following year and obtained the first yin of Meng. At that time, the Sino-Japanese War had already begun. In his judgment, he wrote: The ignorant parliamentarians in Japan's Diet, who usually bickered and couldn't see the big picture, would suddenly wake up only when the order to fight against Qing was issued and the sword was at their necks. This is "Fa meng"—using a heavy blow to knock out ignorance.
This history played out at the national level, but the same script unfolds around you every day.
That colleague who says every year he'll lose weight, with milk tea always on his desk, raising a glass at the year-end party saying, "I'll start tomorrow." Until last year's health check report showed moderate fatty liver—the doctor's words, "If you don't move, you'll need medication by 40," hit him hard. The next morning at six, he was running in the community. A single jolt of pain woke up a decade of procrastination.
The ears of the ignorant often open first through a jolt of pain.
But the Meng hexagram says calmly: "Yi wang, lin." If you think that blows are the entirety of education and that "setting rules" means "long-term beating," you're wrong. "Yong shuo zhi gu"—after the deterrent, you must loosen the bonds and let people walk on their own. For education to work, you must know when to stop.
The first step of enlightenment is not to teach, but to stop.
2. Second Yang: Bao Meng Ji—Tolerating a Group of Foolish People Is True Leadership
Bao meng ji. Na fu ji. Zi ke jia.
Tolerating ignorance is auspicious. Being able to tolerate the ignorance of women and children naturally prospers the family.
Takashima Kankō, the "Sage of the I Ching" of Japan's Meiji era, recorded a friend who came to ask about his official career and obtained the second yang of Meng. The second yang is the only "firm and central" line in this hexagram—a yang line occupying the middle position of the lower trigram, connecting below to the first yin (the most ignorant) and above to the fifth yin (the gentle ruler), a very special position. Takashima's core advice was only four words—leniency and strictness with measure.
He said to this friend: When you take office, there will inevitably be a group of subordinates who are not on the same wavelength as you. If you immediately use a strict ruler to screen them, what remains will be those who know how to pretend, not those who can do things. What the second yang teaches you is to first "bao" (tolerate) the ignorant—not to despise or abandon them, but to give them a pace they can keep up with.
Later, this friend indeed governed with leniency and had a smooth career.
Now, bring this scene to today.
A department head training newcomers often falls into a trap: disliking newcomers for being too ignorant, too slow, with too many bugs, and wishing to directly replace them with those who "already know." But think back to when you first joined a company—weren't you also that "ignorant person" who gave your seniors headaches? Those who can truly lead a team are not those who always surround themselves with elites, but those under whom "people who were originally incompetent become competent after a year."
The same applies at home. Whether a family can "zi ke jia"—whether the children have responsibility—often depends not on how strict the parents are, but on whether they are willing to "bao."
Those who can truly move people are not the smartest, but those who can "bao" (tolerate) ignorance.
3. Third Yin: Jian Jin Fu Bu You Gong—The Ignorant See Only Money
Wu yong qu nü, jian jin fu, bu you gong. Wu you li.
Do not marry such a woman: when she sees a wealthy and powerful man, she loses herself. There is nothing to expect from such a person.
Takashima recorded a divination about a marriage. A parent came to ask whether a marriage for a young woman would succeed. Takashima performed divination and obtained the third yin line, with a very cold judgment: This woman forgets herself at the sight of profit; marrying her will bring trouble; advise against it.
The parent didn't believe it, and the marriage went ahead. Not long after, as predicted.
The line seems to talk about marriage, but the true meaning of the third yin of Meng is not about morality, but about cognition. A person who "sees a golden man" is not evil, but ignorant—he/she knows no other measure besides money. So when they see someone richer, they immediately switch sides; it's not heartlessness, but that their cognitive system has only this one variable.
Today, this "third-yin-type ignorance" is most commonly seen not in marriage.
It appears in that friend who always asks you to recommend a "million-annual-salary" partner; in that colleague who converts every item into "one Starbucks = how many LVs"; in that partner who, lured by the words "high returns," invests all savings into a project whose business model they can't even explain; in that relative who, for a "rebate group," leaves the family chat.
The Meng hexagram does not scold them. It simply says—Wu you li. There is nothing to expect from deep cooperation with such a person. Not because they are bad, but because they haven't been enlightened yet.
The ignorant are most easily blinded by money because they see no other measure besides it.
Forward this to that friend who is always in the "I already understand" state—maybe he is stuck on this line.
4. Fourth Yin: Kun Meng Zhi Lin—No One Around to Tell You "You Don't Know"
Kun meng, lin.
The Small Image says: Kun meng zhi lin, du yuan shi ye.
Note the "shi" (solid) in "du yuan shi ye"—it refers to yang lines, the wise teachers in the Meng hexagram (second yang and top yang). It means: The fourth yin line is sandwiched between four yin lines, with no yang line above or below to give it substantial help. It is far from "shi"—far from those who can truly enlighten it.
Takashima recorded a divination for a noble councilor. This councilor was self-righteous in government affairs, surrounded by like-minded peers, with no one daring to point out his biases. Takashima divined and obtained the fourth yin of Meng, judging: Like a blind person who cannot see the whole elephant, alone and far from the solid. Subsequently, this councilor made consecutive mistakes in policy judgments, fulfilling this "lin" (regret).
Translating "du yuan shi ye" into today's life is one word—information cocoon.
When you open your phone, every piece of content caters to what you already believe; every friend around you says, "You're right"; those in your company who could give you advice have either resigned or learned to stay silent; when you go home, your partner is too tired to argue, and your children have learned to only report good news.
You think you live in the center of the world.
The Meng hexagram says you live on an isolated island.
The "lin" of the fourth yin is not because this person is dumber than others, but because all feedback mechanisms around him have failed. It's not that he doesn't understand; it's that no one can tell him "you don't understand."
The most可怕 thing about being trapped in ignorance is not not understanding, but having no one around to tell you "you don't understand."
5. Fifth Yin: Tong Meng Ji—Those Who Admit Their Ignorance Go the Farthest
Tong meng, ji.
The Small Image says: Tong meng zhi ji, shun yi xun ye.
In the entire I Ching, there are not many lines that end with a single "ji" (auspicious). The fifth yin is one of them.
Takashima recorded the story of his old friend Fukuhara Jitsukimi. Fukuhara was about to take office as the governor of Okinawa Prefecture and came to Takashima to ask about fortune. Divination yielded Meng becoming Huan—the original hexagram was Meng, the changing hexagram was Huan.
Takashima's judgment was the longest in this hexagram. He said: Your nature is gentle, honest, and sincere, exactly matching the virtue of tong meng (youthful ignorance). But tong meng is not about not understanding; it's about being willing to admit you don't understand. After you take office, the most important thing is not to rush to prove yourself—it's to set aside the governor's airs, select one or two subordinates who are well-versed in local conditions, and borrow their wisdom to enlighten your own ignorance. This is the correct path of tong meng ji.
Fukuhara later governed Okinawa with leniency and was known for listening to the people, gradually dissipating old accumulated problems—this was the fulfillment of the changing hexagram "Huan."
You see, in the entire logical chain of the sixty-four hexagrams, the deepest wisdom is not in the fourth yin's "entrapment" or the first yin's "blow," but in this line of the fifth yin—being willing to admit one's own ignorance.
Bring this to today.
That middle-aged manager who refuses to learn new tools from younger colleagues after work—it's not that he can't learn; it's that he can't let go of the "I'm the boss" attitude. Those parents who stubbornly raise children with methods from ten years ago—it's not that they love their children less; it's that they can't admit "my methods no longer work." That elder who always argues with you, "I've eaten more salt than you've eaten rice"—it's not that he lacks experience; it's that he treats past experience as today's truth.
Tong meng is not ignorance; tong meng is knowing that you don't know—and then being willing to lower your head to ask those who know.
Kun meng is unconsciously self-trapping; tong meng is self-awareness that leads to seeking help. One word difference, two realms in one hexagram.
Tong meng is auspicious because he knows he is ignorant; kun meng is regretful because he doesn't know he is ignorant.
If you have a friend who always says "I understand" but is actually stuck in ignorance—it's not that he doesn't want to learn; it's that he hasn't realized he should seek.
6. Top Yang: Ji Meng—Sometimes Force Is Necessary, But Not for Venting
Ji meng. Bu li wei kou, li yu kou.
Severely "strike" to break ignorance; but do not act like a robber by actively attacking; use force defensively, like guarding a city.
On the same winter solstice, Takashima also divined another hexagram for the next year's Japan-Britain diplomacy, obtaining Meng becoming Shi. At that time, Britain was putting continuous pressure on Japan. Takashima judged: "Bu li wei kou"—cannot actively confront head-on; "li yu kou"—gently refuse and keep a respectful distance. Later, Japan indeed did not confront hard and resolved a crisis.
When the Meng hexagram reaches the top yang, the tone shifts. The first five lines all talk about "how to gently enlighten," but at the top yang, it suddenly becomes "how to severely strike ignorance." This is not a contradiction; it's a balance.
Bring this line to today; the most relatable scenario is the moment when parents face their child's first test of boundaries.
The child reaches for a boiling kettle for the first time, runs through a red light, touches an electrical socket, or secretly puts a classmate's eraser into their own bag—these moments, almost every parent experiences. One type of parent chooses to "reason," squatting down to ask, "Why did you do that?" Another type immediately slaps the child's hand away, with a cold voice that makes the child freeze.
The top yang of Meng speaks of the latter. But it immediately adds a key qualification—bu li wei kou, li yu kou.
If that slap is because "I've had a tiring day and you're causing trouble again," that is "wei kou"—you are venting your own emotions; the top yang says no. If that slap is because "a boiling kettle can really peel off skin, and a red light can really kill," that is "yu kou"—you are helping the child build a defense line that will protect them from disasters in the future; the top yang says yes.
The same applies when a manager faces a subordinate repeatedly making the same bottom-line mistake. First warning, second reminder, third time—you must use force. But the purpose of using force is not to win, not to suppress the person to show your authority, but to make them know that "crossing this line is the company's red line," so that they won't make the same mistake elsewhere in the future.
There is only one criterion: Is this strike for your own satisfaction, or for their future ability to ward off greater disasters?
A truly strict teacher does not aim to win, but to help you win.
Conclusion
Looking back at these 6 stories—
First yin says, sometimes a single blow can knock out ignorance. Second yang says, teaching must be able to "bao" (tolerate) ignorance. Third yin says, the ignorant are drawn to money; don't force it. Fourth yin says, those trapped in place are because there is no "shi" (solid) around them. Fifth yin says, those willing to admit their ignorance are auspicious. Top yang says, sometimes severity is necessary, but not for venting.
The deepest layer of the Meng hexagram is this line—
Fei wo qiu tong meng, tong meng qiu wo.
It is not the adult who chases the child to learn; it is the child who comes to the adult to teach. It is not the teacher who chases the student to learn; it is the student who comes to the teacher to teach. It is not the sage who chases the ordinary person to awaken; it is the ordinary person who comes to the sage to awaken. It is not others who worry for you every day; it is you who must first admit you don't understand.
Seeking or not seeking determines whether enlightenment can occur. And whether you are willing to admit that you "don't know what you don't know"—that determines whether you can emerge from ignorance.
The Meng hexagram was the first hexagram that moved me when I studied the I Ching—because I myself was once that person who "didn't know what I didn't know."
Choosing the wrong direction at work, misjudging people in relationships, using wrong force in educating children—what was the last time you realized that "you had been not knowing what you didn't know"? Share in the comments.
If you have a friend who is "stuck in ignorance but unwilling to seek help"—it's not that he doesn't want to learn; it's that he hasn't realized he should seek—forward this article to him.
Click "Watching."
On Thursday evening, we'll continue with Part 2 of "The True Secret of the Five Elements"—the Five Elements are not five things like metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, but a "mode of movement." A common sense misunderstood by modern people for a thousand years.